MEMS-Based Platforms for Multi-Physical Characterization of Nanomaterials: A Review

Functional nanomaterials possess exceptional mechanical, electrical and thermal properties which have significantly benefited their diverse applications to a variety of scientific and engineering problems. In order to fully understand their characteristics and further guide their synthesis and usage, the multi-physical properties of these nanomaterials need to be characterized accurately and efficiently. Among various experimental tools for nanomaterial characterization, micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) based platforms provide merits such as high accuracy and repeatability, well-controlled testing conditions, small footprint, and compatibility with high-resolution imaging facilities (e.g., electron microscope and atomic force microscope); thus, various MEMS-enabled techniques have been well developed for characterizing the multi-physical properties of nanomaterials. In this review, we summarize existing designs of MEMS-based platforms for nanomaterial characterization, outline critical experimental considerations for nanomaterial characterization using MEMS devices, and discuss applications of the MEMS-based platforms to characterizing multi-physical properties of different types of nanomaterials.