Orientation and temperature dependence of the tensile behavior of GaN nanowires: an atomistic study

Journal Article · Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2008 · Journal of Materials Science. Materials in Electronics, 19(8-9):863-867

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-007-9526-8· OSTI ID:932422

Wang, Zhiguo; Zu, Xiaotao T; Yang, Li; Gao, Fei; Weber, William J

Gallium nitride (GaN) is a high-temperature semiconductor material of considerable interest. It emits brilliant light and has been considered as a key material for the next generation of high frequency and high power transistors that are capable of operating at high temperatures. Due to its anisotropic and polar nature, GaN exhibits direction-dependent properties. Growth directions along [001], [1-10] and [110] directions have all been synthesized experimentally. In this work, molecular dynamics simulations are carried out to characterize the mechanical properties of GaN nanowires with different orientations at different temperatures. The simulation results reveal that the nanowires with different growth orientations exhibit distinct deformation behavior under tensile loading. The nanowires exhibit ductility at high deformation temperatures and brittleness at lower temperature. The brittle to ductile transition (BDT) was observed in the nanowires grown along the [001] direction. The nanowires grown along the [110] direction slip in the {010} planes, whereas the nanowires grown along the [1-10] direction fracture in a cleavage manner under tensile loading.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab. (EMSL)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 932422
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-58364; 17292; KC0201020; TRN: US200812%%798
• Journal Information: Journal of Materials Science. Materials in Electronics, 19(8-9):863-867, Vol. 19, Issue 8-9
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
BRITTLENESS
CLEAVAGE
DEFORMATION
DUCTILITY
FRACTURES
GALLIUM NITRIDES
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
ORIENTATION
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SIMULATION
SLIP
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TRANSISTORS
Tensile behavior
GaN nanowires
temperature effects
computer simulations
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory