Extreme mechanics of nanoscale diamond towards functional device applications

Abstract

Diamond, as the hardest natural material on earth, usually breaks in a brittle manner, but with the size reduced to the nanoscale regime, it can have surprisingly large elastic deformation and even plasticity at room temperature. This review mainly focuses on the recent experimental progresses to apply and characterize the extreme mechanical deformations of diamond at small scales. We outlined recent advances in uncovering the extreme mechanics in micro/nano-fabricated diamond, such as ultrahigh hardness, ultralarge bending/tensile elasticity, ultra-strength, localized plastic deformation, and enhanced toughness for potential structural and functional applications, through state-of-the-art in situ nanomechanical techniques. In particular, we highlighted the electronic property modulation of diamond through “elastic strain engineering” by both theoretical and experimental efforts, as well as the strain-mediated quantum information technologies of nanostructured diamond. Also, we suggest a few prospective research directions for further improving and utilizing the extreme mechanical behavior of micro/nano-fabricated diamonds and exploring their “deep elastic strain engineering” for unprecedented functional device applications.