  Measuring the mechanical properties of two-dimensional materials is a
formidable task. While regular electrical and optical probing techniques are
suitable even for atomically thin materials, conventional mechanical tests
cannot be directly applied. Therefore, new mechanical testing techniques need
to be developed. Up to now, the most widespread approaches require
micro-fabrication to create freely suspended membranes, rendering their
implementation complex and costly. Here, we revisit a simple yet powerful
technique to measure the mechanical properties of thin films. The buckling
metrology method, that does not require the fabrication of freely suspended
structures, is used to determine the Young's modulus of several transition
metal dichalcogenides (MoS2, MoSe2, WS2 and WSe2) with thicknesses ranging from
3 to 10 layers. We critically compare the obtained values for the Young's
modulus and their uncertainty, finding that this simple technique provides
results, which are in good agreement with those reported using other highly
sophisticated testing methods. By comparing the cost, complexity and time
required for the different methods reported in the literature, the buckling
metrology method presents certain advantages that makes it an interesting
mechanical test tool for 2D materials.
