WS2 Nanotubes: Electrical Conduction and Field Emission Under Electron Irradiation and Mechanical Stress

Alessandro Grillo; Maurizio Passacantando; Alla Zak; Aniello Pelella; Antonio Di Bartolomeo

doi:10.1002/smll.202002880

WS₂ Nanotubes: Electrical Conduction and Field Emission Under Electron Irradiation and Mechanical Stress

Small. 2020 Sep;16(35):e2002880. doi: 10.1002/smll.202002880. Epub 2020 Aug 6.

Authors

Alessandro Grillo^{1

2}, Maurizio Passacantando³, Alla Zak⁴, Aniello Pelella^{1

2}, Antonio Di Bartolomeo^{1

2

5}

Affiliations

¹ Physics Department "E. R. Caianiello" and Interdepartmental centre NanoMates, University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II n. 132, Fisciano, 84084, Italy.
² CNR-SPIN Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II n. 132, Fisciano, 84084, Italy.
³ Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, and CNR-SPIN L'Aquila, via Vetoio, Coppito, 67100, Italy.
⁴ Faculty of Sciences, HIT-Holon Institute of Technology, Holon, 5810201, Israel.
⁵ INFN-Gruppo collegato di Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II n. 132, Fisciano, 84084, Italy.

PMID: 32761781
DOI: 10.1002/smll.202002880

Abstract

This study reports the electrical transport and the field emission properties of individual multi-walled tungsten disulphide (WS₂ ) nanotubes (NTs) under electron beam irradiation and mechanical stress. Electron beam irradiation is used to reduce the nanotube-electrode contact resistance by one-order of magnitude. The field emission capability of single WS₂ NTs is investigated, and a field emission current density as high as 600 kA cm^-2 is attained with a turn-on field of ≈100 V μm^-1 and field-enhancement factor ≈50. Moreover, the electrical behavior of individual WS₂ NTs is studied under the application of longitudinal tensile stress. An exponential increase of the nanotube resistivity with tensile strain is demonstrated up to a recorded elongation of 12%, thereby making WS₂ NTs suitable for piezoresistive strain sensor applications.

Keywords: contact resistance; electrical conduction; electron irradiation; field emission; nanotubes; stress-strain; tungsten disulphide.

Abstract

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