High throughput mechanical property testing of materials libraries using capacitance

A method for screening an array of materials for mechanical properties, comprising:

• providing a wafer having a plurality of capacitors each having at least two structures with a known Young's modulus, and each structure having an electrode for making an electrical connection with each other in presence of an applied voltage, wherein said structures are physically separated from each other by at least one region and maintained at a fixed distance from each other in absence of said applied voltage;
• using at least one voltage supply to direct a force from said capacitors by applying a voltage to said capacitors;
• monitoring a response of each of said capacitors to said force with at least one response sensing device;
• securing a library of at least four different material samples onto said capacitors wherein each of said material samples is secured onto a surface of one of said structures of each of said capacitors, wherein each of said samples has an area of less than about 50 mm2 and a thickness of less than about 500 microns;
• using said at least one voltage supply to direct a force from said capacitors to their corresponding material samples by applying said voltage;
• and
• monitoring a response of each of said samples to said force with said at least one response sensing device, wherein said response of each of said samples is indicative of a mechanical property.