Tunable Mechanical Property and Structural Transition of Silicon Nitride Nanowires Induced by Focused Ion Beam Irradiation

Tailoring mechanical properties of the nanowire (NW) with intricate composite structure helps to design nanodevices with novel functionalities. Here, we performed in situ tensile deformation electron microscopy for the evaluation of the mechanical properties of the focused ion beam (FIB) irradiated silicon nitride (Si3N4) nanowires (NWs). Young’s modulus of the FIB-fabricated NWs was mediated between the range of 522 and 65 GPa by modifying the shell thickness of the core–shell structure. The ion-beam-induced amorphization is found to induce the structural transition from an utter crystalline state to a composite NW with an amorphous shell, which results in a brittle-to-ductile transition and an unexpected plastic deformation. These results have practical implications for optimizing nanostructures with the desired mechanical properties, which are of fundamental relevance in designing and fabricating nanomechanical devices.