In this study, we investigate the effects of focused ion beam (FIB)-induced damage and specimen size on the mechanical properties of Si nanowires (NWs) by a microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based tensile testing technique. By an FIB fabrication technique, three types of Si NWs, which are as-FIB-fabricated, annealed, and FIB-implanted NWs, are prepared. A sacrificial-oxidized NW is also prepared to compare the mechanical properties of these FIB-based NWs. The quasi-static uniaxial tensile tests of all the NWs are conducted by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The fabrication process and specimen size dependences on Young’s modulus and fracture strength are observed. Annealing is effective for improving the Young’s modulus of the FIB-damaged Si. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) suggests that the mechanism behind the process dependence on the mechanical characteristics is related to the crystallinity of the FIB-damaged portion.
a b s t r a c tSilicon carbide on insulator is a promising platform for electronic devices at high temperature as well as for opto-electrical applications. Utilizing the chemical inertness of SiC, this work presents a novel technique to form cubic-silicon carbide (3C-SiC) on silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) by using silicon wet-thermaloxidation. Experimental data confirmed that SiO 2 was successfully formed underneath of 300 nm width SiC nanowires, while the properties of SiC was almost unaffected during the oxidation process. This simple technique will open the pathway to the development of SiCOI (SiC on insulator) based electrical and optical applications.
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