Enhanced piezoresistive performance of 3C-SiC nanowires by coupling with ultraviolet illumination

Abstract

The sensitivity of the piezoresistive behavior is one of the keys for investigating high-performance pressure sensors. In this work, we reported the enhanced piezoresistive behaviors of 3C-SiC nanowires by coupling with illumination by ultraviolet (UV) light. The as-synthesized single-crystalline SiC nanowires had 1.9 at% N dopants and crystal top surface of (11). It was found that at the applied force of 28.2 nN, the piezoresistance coefficient of the SiC nanowire could be increased up to 11.79 × 10⁻¹¹ Pa⁻¹ under 405 nm UV light illumination with a power of 62.4 mW, which was ∼300% more than that under dark, suggesting its substantially enhanced sensitivity. The present work could provide some insights into exploring advanced SiC pressure sensors with improved sensitivity.