Title: An open-source platform to study uniaxial stress effects on nanoscale devices,
Abstract: We present an automatic measurement platform that enables the
characterization of nanodevices by electrical transport and optical
spectroscopy as a function of uniaxial stress. We provide insights into and
detailed descriptions of the mechanical device, the substrate design and
fabrication, and the instrument control software, which is provided under
open-source license. The capability of the platform is demonstrated by
characterizing the piezo-resistance of an InAs nanowire device using a
combination of electrical transport and Raman spectroscopy. The advantages of
this measurement platform are highlighted by comparison with state-of-the-art
piezo-resistance measurements in InAs nanowires. We envision that the
systematic application of this methodology will provide new insights into the
physics of nanoscale devices and novel materials for electronics, and thus
contribute to the assessment of the potential of strain as a technology booster
for nanoscale electronics.