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Analysis of Contact Interfaces for Single GaN Nanowire Devices
Published on: November 15, 2013
Friction and shear strength at the nanowire-substrate interfaces
Yong Zhu1, Qingquan Qin, Yi Gu
1Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA. yong_zhu@ncsu.edu.
Nanoscale Research Letters
|July 31, 2010
Summary
Researchers measured nanowire (NW)-substrate friction for the first time using NW buckling. This study provides key friction and shear strength data for silver and ZnO nanowires on gold substrates.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Tribology
Background:
- Nanowire (NW)-substrate interface properties are crucial for nanodevice performance and longevity.
- Limited research exists on NW-substrate friction and shear strength due to experimental difficulties.
- No prior studies investigated individual NW tip-substrate contact configurations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the first experimental measurement of friction between a NW tip and a substrate.
- To determine the coefficients of friction and interfacial shear strengths for specific NW-substrate systems.
- To introduce a novel experimental method applicable to various NW-substrate interfaces.
Main Methods:
- Developed a new experimental technique involving in situ NW buckling within a scanning electron microscope.
- Measured friction coefficients for silver NWs and ZnO NWs in contact with a gold substrate.
- Utilized continuum mechanics calculations to determine interfacial shear strengths.
Main Results:
- Friction coefficients for silver NW/gold substrate: 0.09-0.12.
- Friction coefficients for ZnO NW/gold substrate: 0.10-0.15.
- Interfacial shear strengths for silver NW/gold substrate: 134-139 MPa.
- Interfacial shear strengths for ZnO NW/gold substrate: 78.9-95.3 MPa.
Conclusions:
- The study successfully measured NW tip-substrate friction and shear strength using a novel buckling method.
- Adhesion significantly influences the true contact area and interfacial shear strength.
- Findings have implications for atomic force microscopy (AFM) based nanomechanical characterization techniques.
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