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Electromechanical field analysis of PN junctions in bent composite piezoelectric semiconductor beams under shear forces

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Abstract

In piezotronics, PN junctions usually possess both piezoelectricity and semiconductor properties. This allows them to be manipulated mechanically by external forces through the coupling between deformation and free carriers. For a conventional non-piezoelectric PN junction, however, the mechanical manipulation seems difficult to achieve. In this paper, we theoretically demonstrate that this problem may be addressed via structural design. A composite beam model consisting of a piezoelectric dielectric layer and two non-piezoelectric PN junction layers is proposed. Then its electromechanical response under three different types of shear loads is examined based on a one-dimensional phenomenological theory. Results show as expected that the electrical behaviors of the junction can be tuned mechanically when the external force is applied on the interface, which provides a new idea for the design of piezotronic devices. Further, the effects of the doping level, thickness ratio, and material combination are also investigated, providing a comprehensive understanding of the proposed composite model.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (12061131013, 11972276, 12172171, and 12211530064), the State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control of Mechanical Structures at NUAA (No. MCMS-I-0522G01), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (NS2022011 and NE2020002), National Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20211176), Local Science and Technology Development Fund Projects Guided by the Central Government (2021Szvup061), Jiangsu High-Level Innovative and Entrepreneurial Talents Introduction Plan (Shuangchuang Doctor Program, JSSCBS20210166), and a project funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures, College of Aerospace Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016, China

    Decai Liu, Kai Fang, Peng Li & Zhenghua Qian

  2. Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, China

    Decai Liu, Kai Fang, Peng Li & Zhenghua Qian

  3. School of Engineering, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK

    Dianzi Liu

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  1. Decai Liu
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  2. Kai Fang
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Correspondence to Zhenghua Qian.

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Appendix

Appendix

In Fig. 

Fig. 12
figure 12

Comparison of the linear analytical and nonlinear numerical results

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12, it can be seen that the difference between the linearization theory derived in this paper and the nonlinear solution of COMSOL is relatively small, which can verify the correctness of the theory in this paper.

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Liu, D., Fang, K., Li, P. et al. Electromechanical field analysis of PN junctions in bent composite piezoelectric semiconductor beams under shear forces. Acta Mech 235, 1067–1082 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00707-023-03790-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00707-023-03790-1

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