The limits of electromechanical coupling in highly-tensile strained germanium

Speculations regarding electronic and photonic properties of strained germanium (Ge) have perpetually put it into contention for next-generation devices since the start of the information age. Here, the electromechanical coupling of <111> Ge nanowires (NWs) is reported from unstrained conditions to the ultimate tensile strength. Under tensile strain, the conductivity of the NW is enhanced exponentially, reaching an enhancement factor of ∼130 at ∼3.5% of strain. Under strains larger than ∼2.5%, the electrical properties of Ge also exhibit a dependence on the electric field. The conductivity can be further enhanced by ∼2.2× with a high bias condition at ∼3.5% of strain. Cyclic loading tests confirm that the observed electromechanical responses are repeatable, reversible, and related to the changing electronic band structure. These tests reveal the excellent prospects for utilizing strained Ge NWs in photodetector or piezoelectronic transistor applications, but significant challenges remain to realize strict direct band gap devices.