Ring closure of rolled-up $Si∕Cr$ nanoribbons

Nanobelts formed by the ring closure of rolled-up $Si∕Cr$ nanoribbons are fabricated on a Si (001) substrate. Interlayer bonding strengths are investigated by tangential unrolling and radial stretching using nanorobotic manipulation. Experimental results confirm that the multiwalled $Si∕Cr$ nanobelts can be considered physically closed structures and have strong interlayer bonding. The load versus deformation curve of nanobelts of varying ribbon widths reveals that the radial stiffness fulfills Hooke’s law for small deformations. The measured radial stiffness of the nanobelts is also comparable to that of ideal seamless rings.