Elastic moduli of faceted aluminum nitride nanotubes measured by contact resonance atomic force microscopy

Abstract

A new methodology for determining the radial elastic modulus of a one-dimensional nanostructure laid on a substrate has been developed. The methodology consists of the combination of contact resonance atomic force microscopy (AFM) with finite element analysis, and we illustrate it for the case of faceted AlN nanotubes with triangular cross-sections. By making precision measurements of the resonance frequencies of the AFM cantilever-probe first in air and then in contact with the AlN nanotubes, we determine the contact stiffness at different locations on the nanotubes, i.e. on edges, inner surfaces, and outer facets. From the contact stiffness we have extracted the indentation modulus and found that this modulus depends strongly on the apex angle of the nanotube, varying from 250 to 400 GPa for indentation on the edges of the nanotubes investigated.

(Invited) III-Nitride Nanowires: Emerging Materials for Lighting and Energy Applications

“…Figure 2 shows examples of heterostructure nanowires grown by this method, including a GaN/AlGaN/GaN double heterostructure nanowire and an AlN nanotube, which were synthesized using an epitaxial casting technique. 8 We note that standard, twodimensional techniques such as TEM can be misleading or fail to provide important details of such structures; thus techniques like 3D STEM tomography, used recently to examine AlGaN/GaN core shell nanowires 9 , should be used to elucidate the structures in more detail. …”

The adsorption of CO molecule on pristine, As, B, BAs doped (4, 4) armchair AlNNTs: a computational study

“…After the discovery and synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) [10] and studying all their properties and applications, many researchers have undertaken to investigate other non-carbon based nanotubes that exhibit electronic properties independent of these features. Among these, aluminum nitride nanotubes (AlNNTs) which are neighbors of carbon in the periodic table have been an interesting subject of many studies [11,12]. After the prediction of AlNNTs by Zhang [13], Tondare et al [14], other articles reported the synthesis of AlNNTs through different methods [15,16].…”

“…Among these, aluminum nitride nanotubes (AlNNTs) which are neighbors of carbon in the periodic table have been an interesting subject of many studies [11,12]. After the prediction of AlNNTs by Zhang [13], Tondare et al [14], other articles reported the synthesis of AlNNTs through different methods [15,16]. AlNNTs is the largest band-gap semiconductors with the energy of 6.2 eV and have several unique properties such as high thermal conductivity, high electrical resistivity, low thermal expansion coefficient, high dielectric breakdown strength, good mechanical strength, excellent chemical stability, and non-toxicity [17][18][19].…”

The effect of surface curvature of aluminum nitride nanotubes on the adsorption of NH3

“…Tondare et al successfully synthesized the AlNNTs with diameter ranging from 30 to 80 nm [4]. Recently, the other papers have been reported on the synthesis of AlNNTs through different methods [12][13][14].…”