Helices in micro-world: Materials, properties, and applications

•This overview reviews recent progresses in micro-helices related researches.•The micro-helices can be produced by numerous approaches, either “top-down” or “bottom-up”.•Micro-helices have unique properties in mechanics, electrics, magnetics, optics, etc.•Micro-helices have great potential in micro-electro-mechanical system and lab-on-a-chip.

The demand for equipments with small dimensions and high performance as well as the development of micro-/nano-fabrication has stimulated intensive researches related to micro-/nano-structures. As a new member in the micro-world with three-dimensional geometry, micro-helices made from various materials possess unique properties and meanwhile present challenge in fabrication. This overview reviews recent progresses in micro-helices related researches, especially fabricated by rolled-up nanotechnology. The fabrication approaches with respective advantages and limitations are summarized and categorized, and the underneath mechanisms are explained. The important properties related to the helical geometries in the disciplines of mechanics, electrics, magnetics, and optics are discussed in detail. The results summarized here suggest that micro-helices may have great potential in micro-devices and systems like micro-electro-mechanical system and lab-on-a-chip.

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