Patent ID: 8351053

Claim:
A microscale testing stage comprising: a frame having first and second opposing ends and first and second side beams; at least one deformable force sensor beam near the first end extending laterally across said frame between the first and second side beams; a first longitudinal beam bisecting said at least one force sensor beam and having a free end; a second longitudinal beam having a free end facing the free end of said first longitudinal beam to define a gap therebetween; a support structure disposed near the second end; a pair of slots disposed at each of the free ends of the first and second longitudinal beams, respectively; and a separately fabricated microscale or nanoscale specimen, said specimen comprising: a central gauge length portion of a material to be tested; first hinges disposed at each of opposing longitudinal sides of said gauge length portion; second hinges disposed at each of opposing longitudinal sides of said first hinges, wherein said first hinges are disposed between said second hinges and said gauge length portion, said first hinges and said second hinges providing a self-aligning mechanism for uniaxial loading; and opposing ends for inserting into each of the pair of slots, respectively.