Open AccessNanomechanical characterisation of single‐crystal Bi 2 Se 3 topological insulator
Author(s) -
Uzun Utku,
Yetmez Mehmet,
Akıncı Nurgül
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
micro and nano letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.25
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1750-0443
DOI - 10.1049/mna2.12025
Subject(s) - nanoindentation , materials science , indentation , fracture toughness , spintronics , topological insulator , modulus , composite material , toughness , elastic modulus , nanoscopic scale , single crystal , displacement (psychology) , nanotechnology , crystallography , condensed matter physics , ferromagnetism , chemistry , physics , psychology , psychotherapist
Abstract Topological insulators (TIs) are recently discovered high‐tech materials where their potential use in nanoelectronic devices such as spintronics and quantum computers, due to their unique electronic features, can be a solution to the emerging need for high‐bit data processing. Yet their mechanical properties are not well understood for their use in practical applications. With the objective of exploiting the nanomechanical behaviour of TIs, bulk single‐crystal Bi 2 Se 3 TI is grown by using the Bridgeman–Stockbarger method and mechanically characterised by the nanoindentation method. The Young's modulus and hardness were extracted from the load‐displacement data by using Oliver and Pharr's standard method. Further, fracture toughness of the material was reported for the first time after comprehensive research of indentation crack length (ICL) methods. The grown Bi 2 Se 3 exhibits hardness and Young's modulus as 323 MPa and 6.018 GPa at nanoscale, respectively. Fracture toughness of the TI was evaluated at 0.034 MPa m 1/2 and elastic recovery was around 60% after the full unloading process.