Young’sequationisafundamentalequationincapillarityandwetting,whichreflectsthebalanceofthehorizontalcomponentsofthethreeinterfacialtensionswiththecontactangle(CA).However,itdoesnotconsidertheverticalcomponentoftheliquid-vaporinterfacialtension(VCLVIT).ItisnowwellunderstoodthattheVCLVITcausestheelasticdeformationofthesolidsubstrate,whichplaysasignificantroleinthefabricationofthemicrofluidicdevicesbecauseofthewideuseofthesoftmaterials.Inthispaper,thetheoretical,experimental,andnumericalaspectsoftheproblemarereviewed.TheeffectsoftheVCLVIT-inducedsurfacedeformationonthewettingandspreading,thedeflectionofthemicrocantilever,andtheelasto-capillarityandelectroelasto-capillarityarediscussed.Besidesabriefreviewonthehistoricaldevelopmentandtherecentadvances,somesuggestionsonthefutureresearcharealsoprovided.
