The purpose of this work is to examine the effect of microscopic structure on the mechanical properties of nano-sized components (nano-components). We developed a bending specimen with a substructure that can be observed by means of a transmission electron microscope (TEM). We examined the plastic behavior of a Cu bi-crystal and the Cu/Si interfacial cracking in a nano-component. TEM images indicated that an initial plastic deformation takes place near the interface edge (the junction between the Cu/Si interface and the surface) in the Cu film with a high critical resolved shear stress (400-420 MPa). The deformation developed preferentially in a single grain. Interfacial cracking took place at the intersection between the grain boundary and the Cu/Si interface, where a high stress concentration existed due to deformation mismatch. These results indicate that the characteristic mechanical behavior of a nano-component is governed by the microscopic stress field, which takes into account the crystallographic structure. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.