Piezotronic Effect: An Emerging Mechanism for Sensing Applications

Kory Jenkins; Vu Nguyen; Ren Zhu; Rusen Yang

doi:10.3390/s150922914

Piezotronic Effect: An Emerging Mechanism for Sensing Applications

Sensors (Basel). 2015 Sep 11;15(9):22914-40. doi: 10.3390/s150922914.

Authors

Kory Jenkins¹, Vu Nguyen², Ren Zhu³, Rusen Yang⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 111 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55446, USA. jenk0131@umn.edu.
² Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 111 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55446, USA. nguy1993@umn.edu.
³ Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 111 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55446, USA. zhuxx453@umn.edu.
⁴ Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 111 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55446, USA. yangr@umn.edu.

Abstract

Strain-induced polarization charges in a piezoelectric semiconductor effectively modulate the band structure near the interface and charge carrier transport. Fundamental investigation of the piezotronic effect has attracted broad interest, and various sensing applications have been demonstrated. This brief review discusses the fundamentals of the piezotronic effect, followed by a review highlighting important applications for strain sensors, pressure sensors, chemical sensors, photodetectors, humidity sensors and temperature sensors. Finally, the review offers some perspectives and outlook for this new field of multi-functional sensing enabled by the piezotronic effect.

Keywords: biosensor; chemical sensor; gas sensor; nanowire; photodetector; piezotronic; pressure sensor; strain sensor; temperature sensor; zinc oxide.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Review

MeSH terms

Electronics*
Equipment Design
Nanostructures*
Nanotechnology*
Pressure
Temperature
Zinc Oxide

Substances

Zinc Oxide