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This letter presents a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) material testing setup that relies on electronic measurements of nanospecimen elongation. Compared to previously demonstrated MEMS that rely on high magnification images to measure elongation, this MEMS is more versatile, allowing both in situ and ex situ testing of nanomaterials with high accuracy and precision. We describe and characterize the MEMS device and illustrate its mode of operation with a successful ex situ uniaxial tensile test of a nanocrystalline nickel nanobeam. The combination of ex situ and in situ nanomechanical tests will enable a thorough investigation of critical properties pertaining to the reliability of nanosystems.

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