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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 March 2011
We report quantitative results on the load-deflection response of compressively prestressed square membranes under differential pressure. The membranes consist of 0.485 μm and 1.9 μm thick silicon nitride films. For these square membranes we observed a new symmetry transition of the deflection profile between a state without reflection symmetries at small loads to a state with reflection symmetries at sufficiently large loads. The load-deflection response was modeled by finite element simulations covering a wide range of prestrains e0 and pressures using various geometries. From the symmetry transition process, Young's modulus E = (150±5) GPa and the prestrain ε0 = (1.6±0.1) 10-3 of the membrane material was extracted.