Fracture strain of SiC nanowires and direct evidence of electron-beam induced amorphisation in the strained nanowires

SiC nanowires with diameters ranging from 29 to 270 nm exhibit an average strain of 5.5% with a maximum of up to 7.0%. The brittle fracture of the nano­wires being measured was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. This study demonstrates that amorphisation occurs in the stained SiC nanowires during normal TEM examination, which could be induced by electron irradiation