Abstract
Using a novel in-situ scanning tunneling microcopy integrated into a 200Kv transmission electron microscopy, we have shown that boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) posses remarkable flexibility and convert from insulator to semi-conductor upon bending. To measure the electrical properties, the BNNT was bent between two gold contacts constructing a metal-semiconductor-metal circuit. The resistivity of the BNNT under bending condition was measured to be ∼460 MΩ from the experimentally recorded current-voltage data. Our finding suggests that mechanical straining can improve the electrical transport in BN nanotubes via reducing the band gap.
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Ghassemi, H.M., Lee, C.H., Yap, Y.K. et al. On the Relation of Mechanical Deformation and Electrical Properties of BN Nanotubes. MRS Online Proceedings Library 1204, 1703 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-1204-K17-03
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-1204-K17-03