Mechanical properties of TiSi2 nanowires

There are significant applications of titanium silicides in industry. In this Letter, the mechanical properties of TiSi2 nanowire, including the Young modulus and fracture strength, are investigated based on AFM bending test. The fracture property indicates that the brittle fracture is the dominating character of TiSi2 nanowires. Theoretical analysis and FE simulation support the experimental results. The mechanical behavior of TiSi2 nanowires reported in this Letter will be useful references for the applications and designs of the future nanodevices.