Generation of electricity in GaN nanorods induced by piezoelectric effect

Conversion of mechanical energy into electric energy has been demonstrated in GaN nanorods. The measurement was achieved by deflecting GaN nanorods with a conductive atomic force microscope PtIr tip in contact. The mechanism relies on the coupling between piezoelectric and semiconducting properties in GaN nanorod, which creates a strain field and drives the charge flow across the nanorod. The result shown here opens up an opportunity for harvesting electricity from wasted mechanical energies in the ambient environment, which may lead to the realization of self-powered nanodevices. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.