Piezoelectric Gated Diode of a Single ZnO Nanowire

A ZnO nanowire behaves like a rectifier under bending strain, as demonstrated by its current–voltage characteristics (see graph). This is interpreted with the consideration of a piezoelectricity-induced potential energy barrier at the interface of the conductive tip and nanowire (see schematic). Under appropriate bending and voltage control, each NW could correspond to a device element for random-access-memory, diode, and force-sensor applications.