Innovative Technique for Micro and Nano Materials Testing and International Collaboration

该提案的目标是与南非威特沃特斯兰德大学（Wits）和开普敦大学的同事一起开展mems材料测试的合作研究。本研究的重点是共同设计和制造一种测试夹具，该夹具具有集成称重传感器，高分辨率位移装置，试样安装和加载以及数据采集和分析的特点。拟议合作研究的完成将导致夹具的设计和制造，以便在美国和南非进行合作研究。本课题的潜在技术应用是mems材料的材料测试夹具。在更广泛的影响下，与南非同事的教学和研究合作将使我们能够共同努力，并利用双方的专业知识和资源，将这种夹具设置作为MEMS材料测试进一步研究扩展的基础。南非的同事也可以使用该测试夹具来研究mems测试试件的断裂特性（他们的专业知识）。这样的研究合作将使我们受益，也将使我们南非同事的研究项目受益。更重要的是，这将导致MEMS技术引入南非的大学和工业。研究和教学合作的预期成果还包括在南非开发mems课程和课程，这将是南非大学的第一个此类课程。

The objective of this proposal is to develop collaborative research in the testing of MEMSmaterials with the colleagues in South Africa at University of Witwatersrand (Wits) andUniversity of Cape Town. The focus of this research is on working jointly in the design andmanufacture of a testing jig which features the integration of a load cell, high resolutiondisplacement device, mounting and loading of test specimen, and data acquisition with analysis.The completion of the proposed collaborative research will result in the design and fabrication ofthe jig for conducting collaborative research at both the US and South Africa.The potential technical application of this project is the jig for material testing for MEMSmaterials. In broader impact, the teaching and research collaboration with the colleagues inSouth Africa will enable us to work together and to utilize expertise and resources on both sidesto use this jig setup as the basis for further research expansion in MEMS material testing. Thecolleagues in South Africa can also use this testing jig to investigate the fracture properties ofMEMS test specimen (their expertise). Such research collaboration will benefit us, and also willbenefit research program of our colleagues in South Africa. More importantly, this will lead tothe introduction of MEMS technology to the universities and industries in South Africa. Theexpected outcomes of the research and teaching collaboration also include the development ofMEMS courses and curriculum in South Africa which will be the first of its kind at theuniversities in South Africa.