Symposium: Mechanics of Nanomaterials and Micro/Nanodevices-Experimental and Modeling, September 16-20, 2007, Detroit, Michigan

Although nanostructures, such as nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanowires, nanobelts, and nanometer thick films, nanostructured materials and nanocomposites have been synthesized and fabricated by various techniques, their mechanical properties have not been well explored. These nanostructures are being used as structural and functional building blocks to construct micro/nanodevices. Some nanostructured materials exhibit the breakdown of Hall-Petch behavior. The failure of conventional reinforcing models has been found in nanocomposites. The extremely small dimensions of nanomaterials and micro/nanodevices impose tremendous challenges to many existing experimental techniques and modeling tools. An in-depth understanding of mechanics at the nanoscale is greatly needed. Development of mechanical testing, and manipulation instruments and techniques, is also a technological necessity. This symposium will focus on research on mechanical properties of nanostructures, nanostructured materials and nanocomposites, and reliability testing of micro/nanodevices.

Topics:

• In situ nanomechanical characterization methods

• Deformation and fracture mechanisms

• Novel modeling approaches of mechanics at small scales

• Size-dependent behavior

• Reliability testing of micro/nanodevices

• Novel structures, new materials or new fabrication techniques for micro/nanodevices

• Nanomechanical instrumentation development and challenges

• Novel nanocomposite models 

Organizer:

Xiaodong Li, University of South Carolina; lixiao@engr.sc.edu 

Co-organizers:

Brad Boyce, Sandia National Laboratories; blboyce@sandia.gov

Scott X. Mao, University of Pittsburgh; smao@engr.pitt.edu

Ken Gall, Georgia Institute of Technology; ken.gall@mse.gatech.edu

Dehua Yang, Hysitron Inc.; yang@hysitron.com 

Jun Lou, Rice University; jlou@rice.edu