An experimental system combined with a micromachine and double-tilt TEM holder

•We have integrated two actuators and two beams into MEMS device.•The MEMS was loaded with double-tile TEM holder.•The proposed setup enabled us to tilt the specimen and detect forces.

An in-situ nanoscale observational and force measurement setup is a significant tool that is necessary for understanding the fundamental properties of materials. We have integrated two actuators and two beams into MEMS device, and then developed an experimental setup which enabled us to tilt the device around two axes and detect applied forces in two directions. To demonstrate the tilting capability, silicon tips made from a (100) wafer were prepared and the diffraction patterns of the specimen were observed, indicating that the observation direction was aligned on the [100] zone axis. Furthermore we successfully observed the peeling of a nano-junction at the nano-scale while simultaneously detecting the x and y components of the applied forces in real-time.

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