Mechanical analysis of gold nanocontacts during stretching using an in-situ transmission electron microscope equipped with a force sensor

Gold (Au) nanocontacts (NCs) being stretched in the [110] direction were analyzed using a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) holder equipped with a force sensor to measure spring constants. The Au NCs showed similar change in spring constant with electrical conductance, regardless of the initial shape of NC formed during stretching of contacted two Au wires. The Young's modulus of the Au NC was estimated to be close to the bulk value. This study demonstrated the performance of TEM-combined method to characterize the mechanical properties of nanomaterials via knowing their shape and size.