Abstract
Recently, there has been many researches and practical applications of submillimeter-submicron order structure, including the MEMS. In order to improve the reliability of these structures, it is important to clarify the micro-scale material properties. Generally, material properties are considered to be constant regardless of the size of the structure. In the micro-scale, however, it is said to have different material properties in the macro-scale, and in particular, the fatigue behavior differs when the structure is small compared to the micro-cracks (〜 10 micron). Therefore, there are many researches to study the fatigue fracture properties of a micro structure, but following problems still remain: Observation of real-time fatigue behavior of the specimen, Accurate load measurement and Simultaneous measurement of load and deformation. To solve these problems, we proposed and developed a micro-scale bending fatigue test system that enables real-time observation and accurate load measurement. And with this system, we tested specimens made of single crystal silicon, which is commonly used in MEMS, etc.
