Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026

Flow-assisted Dielectrophoresis: A Low Cost Method for the Fabrication of High Performance Solution-processable Nanowire Devices
Published on: December 7, 2017
Size dependence of dielectric constant in a single pencil-like ZnO nanowire
Ya Yang1, Wen Guo, Xueqiang Wang
1State Key Laboratory for Advanced Metals and Materials, Department of Materials Physics and Chemistry, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China.
Abstract:
Scanning conductance microscopy (SCM) is used to measure the dielectric constant of a single pencil-like zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire with the diameters ranging from 85 to 285 nm. As the diameter decreases, the dielectric constant of ZnO nanowire is found to decrease from 6.4 to 2.7, which is much smaller than that of the bulk ZnO of 8.66. A core-shell composite nanowire model in terms of the surface dielectric weakening effect is proposed to explore the origin of the size dependence of dielectric constant, and the experimental results are well explained.
Related Concept Videos
Susceptibility, Permittivity and Dielectric Constant
Dielectric Polarization in a Capacitor
Debye–Huckel–Onsager Conductance Equation
Electrostatic Boundary Conditions in Dielectrics
Consider a case where both the mediums across a boundary are two different dielectric materials. Recall that the electric field and electric displacement are proportional and related through the material's permittivity.
Electrical Conductivity
In a practical conductor, an applied electric field may be sustained, causing a flow of electrons, which produce a current. The differential form of the current, the current density, is related to the electric field.
More generally, it is related to the force per unit charge, which involves the...
Imperfections in Crystal Structure: Stoichiometric Point Defects

