Nano Express
Nanoscale elastic modulus of single horizontal ZnO nanorod using nanoindentation experiment
1 Department of Science and Technology, Campus Norrköping, Linköping University, Norrköping, SE-60174, Sweden
2 Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, Linköping, SE-58183, Sweden
Nanoscale Research Letters 2012, 7:146 doi:10.1186/1556-276X-7-146
Published: 21 February 2012Abstract
We measure the elastic modulus of a single horizontal ZnO nanorod [NR] grown by a low-temperature hydrothermal chemical process on silicon substrates by performing room-temperature, direct load-controlled nanoindentation measurements. The configuration of the experiment for the single ZnO NR was achieved using a focused ion beam/scanning electron microscope dual-beam instrument. The single ZnO NR was positioned horizontally over a hole on a silicon wafer using a nanomanipulator, and both ends were bonded with platinum, defining a three-point bending configuration. The elastic modulus of the ZnO NR, extracted from the unloading curve using the well-known Oliver-Pharr method, resulted in a value of approximately 800 GPa. Also, we discuss the NR creep mechanism observed under indentation. The mechanical behavior reported in this paper will be a useful reference for the design and applications of future nanodevices.
