| Affiliation: | 1. Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201 China;2. Faculty of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 China;3. State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Chemistry, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005 China
CAS Key Laboratory of Design and Assembly of Functional Nanostructures, and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Nanomaterials, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, 350002 China;4. State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Chemistry, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005 China;5. Public Technology Center, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201 China;6. School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255000 China |
| Abstract: | The self-healing capability is highly desirable in semiconductors to develop advanced devices with improved stability and longevity. In this study, the automatic self-healing in silicon nanowires is reported, which are one of the most important building blocks for high-performance semiconductor nanodevices. A recovery of fracture strength (10.1%) on fractured silicon nanowires is achieved, which is demonstrated by in situ transmission electron microscopy tensile tests. The self-healing mechanism and factors governing the self-healing efficiency are revealed by a combination of atomic-resolution characterizations and atomistic simulations. Spontaneous rebonding, atomic rearrangement, and van der Waals attraction are responsible for the self-healing in silicon nanowires. Additionally, the self-healing efficiency is affected by the fracture surface roughness, the nanowire size, the nanowire orientation, and the passivation of dangling bonds on fracture surfaces. These new findings shed light on the self-healing mechanism of silicon nanowires and provide new insights into developing high-lifetime and high-security semiconductor devices. |
