Strategy of modelling and simulation of electromechanical conversion in ZnO nanowires

AbstractA strategy to establish a model that takes into account the different pitfalls relative to the simulation of ZnO nanowire (NW) based devices is proposed. Starting from the governing equations of the problem, an equivalent circuit of a ZnO NW working in quasi-static 33 mode is established. It takes into account the semiconducting properties of the NW and the effect of the Schottky contact between the tip of the NW and an electrode. Such a circuit model is expected to become a valuable tool to evaluate the performances of NWs as active elements in integrated systems. As an application, a microgenerator based on an NW array under a compressive strain has been modelled. The influence of the electrode material and the NW dimensions on the microgenerator performances is investigated. It is shown that the NW aspect ratio is of critical importance to achieve a high efficient energy conversion.