Bending and buckling of rolled-up SiGe∕Si microtubes using nanorobotic manipulation

Mechanical properties of individual rolled-up SiGeSi microtubes are investigated experimentally using nanorobotic manipulation. By applying bending loads, individual SiGeSi microtubes demonstrate various deformation modes with increasing bending angle. Remarkably, the tested microtubes resist fracture even when bent back onto themselves (180° bending angle). Axial compression tests of microtubes with different turns are also performed. Among those tubes, 1.6-turn rolled-up SiGeSi microtubes show typical Euler buckling behavior when the load is larger than a critical load, which can be estimated by the Euler formula for columns. © 2008 American Institute of Physics.