A brief introduction to the issues related to the mechanical properties of MEMS components in terms of their functionality, types of loading and modes of operation is presented. At the microscale, for most cases, some mechanical properties including strength increase. However, surface phenomena such as adhesion/stiction become important as the aspect ratio of the components decreases. Subcritical crack initiation and growth in silicon, as the most common type of material used in MEMS devices under various types of loading is discussed. In addition, fatigue and creep behavior of MEMS components are described. (C) 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers.