A Novel Method for Testing Freestanding Nanofilms Using a Custom MEMS Load Cell

101 p.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006.Following fabrication, membrane thickness was measured using several methods, including: profilimetry, Scanning Electron Microscopy, and custom spectrophotometry. The mechanical properties of several membranes were measured using the apparatus, including membranes of gold, single crystal silicon, and nano-porous silicon. The elastic properties of both the gold and silicon agree with previous measurements. Interesting new behavior for each material was also observed, including a surface energy driven creep relaxation in gold membranes.U of I OnlyRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETD