A micromechanical micromotion amplifier has an integrated structure formed primarily of silicon and comprises a plurality of long slender flexible beams which are released from a silicon substrate for movement with respect to fixed points of reference upon the substrate. By arranging these beams in cooperating perpendicular pairs as micromotion amplifier stages, an input axial force/movement applied to a moveable free end of a first beam generates a transverse motion or buckling movement which in turn, translates or induces buckling movement in the connected second beam. The resultant output buckling of the second beam is an order of magnitude greater than the initial movement applied as an input to the first beam. Thus, beam pairs can be arranged as micromotion amplifier stages to amplify minute amounts of movement. Beam pairs or stages can also be cascaded to form integrated devices capable of producing greatly increased measurable effects in response to minute amounts of input. Such devices are useful as highly sensitive integrated micro-sensors for measuring a wide variety of parameters such as temperature, pressure, humidity, impact or acceleration. Such devices may also form the basis of highly sensitive micro-switches.