Progress and Prospect of Cryogenic Micro- and Nanomechanical In-Situ Characterization Techniques Based on Electron Microscopy

Abstract

The advancement of electron microscopy technology has driven the development of electron microscopes that can apply mechanical loading while observing samples, providing a valuable tool for In-Situ mechanical characterization of materials. In response to the need to characterize the evolution of the mechanical behavior of structural materials, such as aerospace materials, in real cryogenic service environments, and to provide an experimental basis for improving their macroscopic cryogenic mechanical properties, the advancement of In-Situ characterization techniques capable of offering both cryogenic environments and mechanical loading has become imperative. There have been scholars using this technique to carry out cryogenic mechanical In-Situ studies of related materials, with experimental studies dominating in general, and a few reviews of mechanical characterization techniques mentioning cryogenic temperatures. In order to make it easier to conduct research using such characterization techniques and to further promote the development of related characterization techniques, this review compiles the previous work and summarizes the electron microscope-based In-Situ characterization techniques for cryogenic micro- and nanomechanics. These techniques primarily include transmission electron microscopy-based cryogenic tensile and indentation methods, as well as scanning electron microscopy-based cryogenic tensile, indentation, compression, and bending methods. Furthermore, the review outlines the prospective future development of In-Situ characterization techniques for cryogenic micro- and nanomechanics.