117 research outputs found
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Piezoelectric Semiconducting Nanowires
© 2018 Elsevier Inc. Piezoelectric semiconducting nanowires have generated much interest due to the interplay of their mechanical, electrical, and optical properties, which paves the way for potential applications in mechanical energy harvesting as well as sensing. The nature of piezoelectricity in these nanowires is governed by the crystalline phases present, which in turn can be controlled during the nanowire growth process. This chapter provides insight into the manifestation of piezoelectricity in semiconducting nanowires, the effect of growth on their piezoelectric properties, and importantly, how piezoelectricity is characterized at the nanoscale in these materials. Energy-related applications of semiconducting piezoelectric nanowires are described in detail, including their incorporation into nanogenerators for energy harvesting, as well as in piezotronic and photo-piezotronics devices based on the electromechanical and opto-electromechanical interactions taking place in piezoelectric semiconductor-nanowire junction-based devices. Advances in nanofabrication, nanoscale characterization, and device engineering, coupled with a greater understanding and control of piezoelectricity in semiconducting nanowires, will ultimately help unlock the full potential of these fascinating nanomaterials.European Research Council (Grant no. ERC–2014–STG–639526, NANOGEN
Observation of Confinement-Induced Self-Poling Effects in Ferroelectric Polymer Nanowires Grown by Template Wetting
Ferroelectric polymer nanowires grown using a template-wetting method are shown to achieve an orientated 'self-poled' structure resulting from the confined growth process. Self-poling is highly desirable as it negates the need for high electric fields, mechanical stretching and/or high temperatures typically associated with poling treatments in ferroelectric polymers, as required for piezoelectric and/or pyroelectric applications. Here, we present differential scanning calorimetry, infrared spectroscopy and dielectric permittivity measurements on as-fabricated template-grown polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene (P(VDF-TrFE)) nanowires, and quantitatively compare the results with spin-cast films of the same composition that have been electrically poled, both before and after subsequent de-poling temperature treatment. The measurements reveal remarkably similar trends between the physical properties of the as-grown nanowires and the electrically poled film samples, providing insight into the material structure of the 'self-poled' nanowires. In addition, piezo-response force microscopy (PFM) data is presented that allow s for unambiguous identification of self-poling in ferroelectric polymer nanostructures, and indicates the suitability of the template-wetting approach in fabricating nanowires that can be used directly for piezoelectric/pyroelectric applications, without the need for post-deposition poling/processing.The authors are grateful for financial support from the European Research Council through an ERC Starting Grant (Grant no. ERC-2014-STG-639526, NANOGEN). R.A.W. thanks the EPSRC Cambridge NanoDTC, EP/G037221/1, for studentship funding.This is the author accepted manuscript. It is currently under an indefinite embargo pending publication by Wiley
Localized electromechanical interactions in ferroelectric P(VDF-TrFE) nanowires investigated by scanning probe microscopy
We investigate the electromechanical interactions in individual polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene nanowires in response to localized electrical poling via a conducting atomic force microscope tip. Spatially resolved measurements of piezoelectric coefficients and elastic moduli before and after poling reveal a striking dependence on the polarity of the poling field, notably absent in thin films of the same composition. These observations are attributed to the unclamped nature of the nanowires and the inherent asymmetry in their chemical and electrical interactions with the tip and underlying substrate. Our findings provide insights into the mechanism of poling/switching in polymer nanowires critical to ferroelectric device performance.S.K.-N. and Y.C. are grateful for financial support from the European Research Council through an ERC Starting Grant (Grant No. ERC-2014-STG-639526, NANOGEN). R.A.W. thanks the EPSRC Cambridge NanoDTC, EP/G037221/1, for studentship funding. Q.J. is grateful for financial support through a Marie Sklodowska Curie Fellowship, H2020-MSCA-IF-2015-702868
Piezoelectricity in non-nitride III–V nanowires: Challenges and opportunities
The increasing demand for portable and low-power electronics for applications in self-powered devices and sensors has spurred interest in the development of efficient piezoelectric materials, via which mechanical energy from ambient vibrations can be transformed into electrical energy for autonomous devices, or which can be used in strain-sensitive applications. Semiconducting piezoelectric materials are ideal candidates in the emerging field of piezotronics and piezophototronics, where the development of a piezopotential in response to stress/strain can be used to tune the band structure of the semiconductor and hence its electronic and/or optical properties. Furthermore, research into nanowires of these materials has intensified due to the enhancement of piezoelectric properties at the nanoscale. In this regard, nanowires of ZnO and the III-nitrides have been extensively studied, but the piezoelectric properties of non-nitride III–V semiconductor nanowires remain less-explored. Indeed, direct measurements of the piezoelectric properties of single III–V nanowires are tellingly rare due to the difficulties associated with measurements of piezoelectric properties of nanoscale objects using conventional scanning probe microscopy techniques. This review addresses the challenges related to the study of piezoelectricity in III–V nanowires and the opportunities that lie therein in terms of device applications.S.K-N and Y.C are grateful for financial support from the European Research Council through an ERC Starting Grant (Grant No. ERC-2014-STG-639526, NANOGEN)
Carta pastoral que escribe el IlustrÃsimo Señor D. Pedro Luis Ozta y Músquiz ... a los vicarios, párrocos, beneficiados y demás fieles de su diócesis.
Sign.: A-C4Ejempl. restauradoDigitalización. Vitoria-Gasteiz : Fundación Sancho el Sabio, 2008Digitalización. Vitoria-Gasteiz : Archivos y Bibliotecas, Marzo 1994RESTAURACIONhMarÃa Arjona DomÃnguez,$zCon informe de restauració
Carta pastoral que escribe el IlustrÃsimo Señor D. Pedro Luis Ozta y Músquiz ... al clero y demás fieles de su diócesis.
Sign.: A-H2Ejempl. restauradoDigitalización. Vitoria-Gasteiz : Fundación Sancho el Sabio, 2008Digitalización. Vitoria-Gasteiz : Archivos y Bibliotecas, Marzo 1994RESTAURACIO
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Enhanced piezoelectricity and electromechanical efficiency in semiconducting GaN due to nanoscale porosity
Electrical polarization phenomena in GaN are important as they have significant impact on the operation of modern day energy efficient lighting and are fundamental to many GaN-based high power and high frequency electronics. Controlling polarization is beneficial for the optimization of these applications. GaN is also piezoelectric, and therefore mechanical stress and strain are possible handles to control its polarization. Nonetheless, polar semiconductors in general, and GaN in particular, are weak piezoelectric materials when compared to ceramics, and are therefore not considered for characteristic electromechanical applications such as sensing, actuation and mechanical energy harvesting. Here, we examine the effect of nanoscale porosity on the piezoelectricity of initially conductive GaN. We find that for 40% porosity, the previously conductive GaN layer becomes depleted, and exhibits enhanced piezoelectricity as measured using piezoresponse force microscopy, as well as by using a mechanical energy harvesting setup. The effective piezoelectric charge coefficient of the porous GaN, d33,eff, is found to be about 8 pm/V which is 2 3 times larger than bulk GaN. A macroscale device comprising a porous GaN layer delivered 100 nW/cm2 across a resistive load under a 150 kPa mechanical excitation. We performed finite element simulations to analyze the evolution of the piezoelectric properties with porosity. The simulations suggest that increased mechanical compliance due to porosity gives rise to the observed enhanced piezoelectricity in GaN. Furthermore, the simulations show that for stress-based excitations, the porous GaN electromechanical figure of merit is increased by an order of magnitude and becomes comparable to that of barium titanate piezoceramics. In addition, considering the central role played by GaN in modern electronics and optoelectronics, our study validates a very promising research direction when considering stress-based electromechanical applications which combine GaN’s semiconducting and piezoelectric properties
Highly sensitive piezotronic pressure sensors based on undoped GaAs nanowire ensembles
Semiconducting piezoelectric materials have attracted considerable interest
due to their central role in the emerging field of piezotronics, where the
development of a piezo-potential in response to stress or strain can be used to
tune the band structure of the semiconductor, and hence its electronic
properties. This coupling between piezoelectricity and semiconducting
properties can be readily exploited for force or pressure sensing using
nanowires, where the geometry and unclamped nature of nanowires render them
particularly sensitive to small forces. At the same time, piezoelectricity is
known to manifest more strongly in nanowires of certain semiconductors. Here,
we report the design and fabrication of highly sensitive piezotronic pressure
sensors based on GaAs nanowire ensemble sandwiched between two electrodes in a
back-to-back diode configuration. We analyse the current-voltage
characteristics of these nanowire-based devices in response to mechanical
loading in light of the corresponding changes to the device band structure. We
observe a high piezotronic sensitivity to pressure, of ~7800 meV/MPa. We
attribute this high sensitivity to the nanowires being fully depleted due to
the lack of doping, as well as due to geometrical pressure focusing and current
funneling through polar interfaces
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