In situ measurements of ultimate bending strength of CuO and ZnO nanowires

Young’s modulus and the bending strength of copper oxide and zinc oxide nanowires (NWs) were measured in situ using nanomanipulation techniques inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Young’s modulus was measured by bending half-suspended NWs and simultaneously measuring the force using a sensor based on a quartz tuning fork. Bending strength was measured for the NWs on a flat surface by bending them from one end with an AFM tip until the NW broke. The profile of the elastically deformed NW and the average value of Young’s modulus were used to calculate the bending strength of the NWs. Weibull statistics was applied to analyse and compare the bending strength distribution for NWs made from both materials.