Strain-induced energetic and electronic properties of stanene nanomeshes.

The energetic and electronic properties of stanene nanomeshes (SnNMs) under biaxial strain are investigated by using first-principles density functional theory. The results of this exploratory study indicate that SnNMs are stable and that, when the width W of the wall between neighboring holes is even, a bandgap can be opened, indicating that SnNMs can be used in logic applications. The value of the bandgap decreases with increasing W and shows a simple relation with the ratio of the removed to total Sn atoms of stanene. It is found that the application of biaxial strain can effectively lower the energy of formation and tune the bandgap of SnNMs. Both compressive and tensile strain can lower the energy of formation, while only compressive strain can increase the bandgap, which is more favorable for use in logic applications. These results reveal that SnNMs have significant potential for use in electronic applications, especially when applying strain engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]