In-Situ TEM Monitoring of Thermal Decomposition in Individual Boron Nitride Nanotubes

The size of electronic devices becomes smaller and smaller and the utilized components and materials are subjected to complex environments including high temperatures, electrical current, mechanical stresses, and others. We need to evaluate the performance of these small-scale materials that are used in such devices. We have shown that these small-scale materials may suffer structural degradation under such environments. The future of microelectronic and nanoelectronics devices could lie in onedimensional nanomaterials including boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs). In such applications, however, the fl ow of electrical current may induce structural failure resulting in reduction of component service life. Here, we utilized scanning tunneling microscopy inside a transmission electron microscope to study the thermal failure of individual multi-walled BNNTs via Joule heating. At elevated temperatures, the nanotube failed by the formation of amorphous nanoclusters and progression of structural defects. These clusters have various sizes and initially form on the outermost shell layers of BNNTs.