Experimental nanomechanics study of ZnO nanostructures

M. Riaz^*, O. Nur and M. Willander

Department of Science and Technology, Campus Norrk?ping, Link?ping University, SE-601 74 Norrk?ping, Sweden

Abstract

New materials and nanostructures with superior electro-mechanical properties are emerging in the development of novel devices. Engineering application of these materials and nanostructures requires accurate mechanical characterization. In this paper we investigated the buckling characterization of vertical well aligned ZnO nanotubes/nanorods/nanowires grown on Si, SiC and sapphire substrates. The buckling was performed by hysitron nanoindenter. We investigated and compare both the critical load and the modulus of elasticity of ZnO nanostructures. It was found that the critical loads were decreasing with increasing the length and the Young modulus of elasticity is strongly dependent on the slenderness ratio.  Similarly for the ZnO nanotubes which were etched from the same nanorods, buckling characterization was performed by nanoindentation. It was observed that critical load of nanorods was approximately five times larger than for the nanotubes. It was also observed that ZnO nanotubes were approximately five times more flexible than the nanorods. The high flexibility of the nanotubes can be used to enhance the efficiency of piezoelectric nanodevices. We used the Euler buckling model and shell cylindrical model for the analysis of mechanical properties of ZnO nanotubes/nanowires/ nanorods.

• Corresponding Authors: Riaz.Muhammad@itn.liu.se