Fabrication of N-doped 3C-SiC nanobelts with selected [formula omitted] top surface and their enhanced transverse piezoresistance behaviours

Abstract

The piezoresistive effect of SiC low-dimensional nanostructures, together with their exclusive benefits of superior mechanical characteristics and could be integrated into the flexible devices that can withdraw large strain, promise to make a wide range of sensing devices application possible in the severe working conditions. In this work, we reported the transverse piezoresistance behaviours of n-type 3C-SiC nanobelts with selected (11¯0) top surface and N dopants. The single-crystalline SiC nanobelts were achieved by the means of direct pyrolysis of polymeric precursors without catalysts, which had an average N doping level of ~ 6.02 at% and a typical width-to-thickness ratio of ~ 8. It was disclosed that the transverse piezoresistance coefficient π[11¯0] reached the maximum 10.29 × 10–11 Pa−1 at a fixed external stress of 67.03 nN. Correspondingly, the gauge factor (GF) was calculated to be of ~ 61.7, which is higher than all the reported n-type SiC, intrinsic SiC, as well as most of the p-type SiC counterparted. The findings shed light on the fact that present n-type SiC nanobelts have the potential of becoming an outstanding contestant for the development of robust pressure sensors having elevated sensitivities.