Mechanical Characterization Laboratory (MCL)

Research in MCL is specialized in MEMS/NEMS design, nanopatterning and nanofabrication, mechanical property measurement at micro and nanoscale, nano/bio interfaces and molecular diagnostics via MEMS sensors. Current projects address batch-compatible fabrication of Si nanowires and development of integration philosophies of these nanowires with micro electromechanical systems, nanowire resonators, development of resonant microcantilever-based sensors and characterization of the scale-dependence of mechanical properties.

- Fabrication innovation – Simplified, top-down, and batch-compatible approaches for scalable nanowire fabrication aligned with semiconductor processing.

- Miniaturization & hybrid integration – Bridging MEMS and NEMS with multiscale device architectures that drive the miniaturization of physical sensors.

- Atomistic and multiscale modeling – Machine learning-driven, analytical, and atomistic models to capture elastic, vibrational, and bending behavior of Si nanowires under intrinsic stress and native oxide effects.

- Nanomechanics of Si nanowires – Investigation of scale effects, surface states, and bending mechanics through combined experimental and modeling approaches.

- Nanowire-based force sensors – Development and characterization of multi-axial, high-frequency piezoresistive Si nanowire force sensors with high sensitivity.

- Surface functionalization & stencil lithography – Selective, damage-free functionalization of Si nanowires in 3D architectures for biochemical sensing and MEMS/NEMS integration.

- Knowledge building – Reviews and perspectives on Si nanowire-enabled MEMS/NEMS technologies, highlighting opportunities and future directions in physical and biochemical sensing.