Abstract Miniaturization of components brings significant advantages, such as low power consumption, fast response and large specific capacity, which stimulate a broad spectrum of scientific research and rapid development of micro-/nano-electromechanical systems. However, as the characteristic dimensions of a device go down to microscale and nanoscale, new phenomena and physics emerge. Moreover, traditional manufacturing techniques in general cannot directly scale down. The challenges come from both science and technology: scientifically, new effects such as size effect in deformation modes and multi-field coupling effects must be taken into consideration; technically, higher precision and resolution are generally in contradiction to high efficiency. Therefore, it is necessary to study the mechanical and physical properties of materials at small scales and develop new micro-/nanomanufacturing techniques. The paper focuses on the close relationship between the advanced micro-/nanomanufacturing techniques and micro-/nanomechanics. We first introduce the advanced manufacturing techniques such as focused ion beam, nanoimprint lithography and 3D printing for fabrication of micro-/nanomaterials and micro-/nanostructures, and then emphasize the importance of advanced micro-/nanomanufacturing techniques at the forefront of research on mechanics. Some examples are also given to show the facilitation of advanced micro-/nanomanufacturing techniques through mechanical methods and principles. Finally, a brief summary of the progress and outlook in advanced micro-/nanomanufacturing techniques and the related mechanical problems are given.
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Received: 24 October 2017
Published: 25 April 2018
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