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Semiconductor behavior of pentagonal silver nanowires measured under mechanical deformation

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Abstract

In the present work, electrical measurements using in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) on pentagonal silver nanowires were performed. Electrical biasing was applied to individual nanowires with and without simultaneous in situ TEM mechanical deformation. The response of the ohmic resistance was measured in the I-V curves. A reduction in the break voltage and the resistance was measured, when the nanowires were subjected to a bending deformation. In situ electric measurements on both, with and without deformation, show a typical semiconductor behavior. Surface scattering of electrons in the nanowires and movement of dislocations act as the main causes of the electrical properties reported herein. In this way, the determination of the surface morphology was carried out by using off-axis electron holography followed by a phase reconstruction and structural modeling. The high Miller-index facets were determined to be the (533) stepped surface plane on all five longitudinal sides of the nanowires. Additionally, due to electrical saturation, a breakdown of the nanowires was observed during the in situ electrical measurements without mechanical deformation.

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Acknowledgments

The electron microscopy work was performed at the Kleberg Advanced Microscopy Center (KAMC) at UTSA. EO and CF thank to Conacyt for graduate fellowship during their works.

Funding

The Department of Defense supported this study with grant # W911NF-18-1-0439.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA

    Edgar Ochoa, Diego Alducin, John E. Sanchez, Clemente Fernando, Ulises Santiago & Arturo Ponce

  2. Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. Postal 70-360, 04510, México D.F., Mexico

    Edgar Ochoa

  3. Departamento de Materia Condensada, Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito de la Investigación Científica s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, 04510, Ciudad de México, Mexico

    Clemente Fernando

Authors
  1. Edgar Ochoa
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  2. Diego Alducin
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  3. John E. Sanchez
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  4. Clemente Fernando
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  5. Ulises Santiago
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  6. Arturo Ponce
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Correspondence to Arturo Ponce.

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Ochoa, E., Alducin, D., Sanchez, J.E. et al. Semiconductor behavior of pentagonal silver nanowires measured under mechanical deformation. J Nanopart Res 21, 134 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-019-4577-3

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