Finite element modeling of ZnO nanowire with different configurations of electrodes connected to external capacitive circuit for pressure sensing applications

This paper reports the results of finite element modeling and analysis of a vertically-aligned ZnO nanowire including surrounding chip components (seed layer, insulating top layer and metal electrodes), taking into account the influence of external capacitance and considering different nanowire morphologies and electrode topographies in order to predict magnitude of electrical outputs as a function of applied dynamic load (compression and/or bending). The length and diameter of the modeled nanowire is in the μm and sub-μm range, respectively and it is intended to function as a single “piezo-pixel” in a matrix of interconnected ZnO nanowires performing dynamic pressure sensing, which could be used for ultraprecise reconstruction of the smallest fingerprint features in highly-reliable security and ID applications.