A novel logic switch based on individual ZnO nanotetrapods.

Logic switch based on individual ZnO nanotetrapods was designed and the electromechanical properties were in situ investigated using scanning electron microscopy. The current through two adjacent legs of the tetrapod can be tuned by applying force on the leg that is perpendicular to the substrate. By applying a pulse force on the leg, this device revealed a good sensitivity and an on/off ratio of 1.14 was achieved. The piezoelectric electrical field at the root of the nanotetrapod may contribute to these logic devices, and logic states depend on the direction of built-in potential induced by piezoelectricity and the source-drain current direction.