Nanoscale piezoelectric response of ZnO nanowires measured using a nanoindentation technique.

We report the piezoelectric properties of ZnO nanowires (NWs) obtained by using a nanoindenter with a conductive boron-doped diamond tip. The direct piezoelectric effect was measured by performing nanoindentations under load control, and the generated piezoelectric voltage was characterized as a function of the applied loads in the range 0.2-6 mN. The converse piezoelectric effect was measured by applying a DC voltage to the sample while there was a low applied force to allow the tip being always in physical contact with the NWs. Vertically aligned ZnO NWs were grown on inexpensive, flexible, and disposable paper substrates using a template-free low temperature aqueous chemical growth method. When using the nanoindenter to measure the direct piezoelectric effect, piezopotential values of up to 26 mV were generated. Corresponding measurement of the converse piezoelectric effect gave an effective piezoelectric coefficient d33(eff) of ∼9.2 pm V(-1). The ZnO NWs were also characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The new nanoindentation approach provides a straightforward method to characterize piezoelectric material deposited on flexible and disposable substrates for the next generation of nanodevices.

Nanoscale elastic modulus of single horizontal ZnO nanorod using nanoindentation experiment.

We measure the elastic modulus of a single horizontal ZnO nanorod [NR] grown by a low-temperature hydrothermal chemical process on silicon substrates by performing room-temperature, direct load-controlled nanoindentation measurements. The configuration of the experiment for the single ZnO NR was achieved using a focused ion beam/scanning electron microscope dual-beam instrument. The single ZnO NR was positioned horizontally over a hole on a silicon wafer using a nanomanipulator, and both ends were bonded with platinum, defining a three-point bending configuration. The elastic modulus of the ZnO NR, extracted from the unloading curve using the well-known Oliver-Pharr method, resulted in a value of approximately 800 GPa. Also, we discuss the NR creep mechanism observed under indentation. The mechanical behavior reported in this paper will be a useful reference for the design and applications of future nanodevices.