Metal oxide semiconductors (MOSs) are attractive candidates as functional parts and connections in nanodevices. Upon spatial dimensionality reduction, the ubiquitous strain encountered in physical reality may result in structural instability and thus degrade the performance of MOS. Hence, the basic insight into the structural evolutions of low-dimensional MOS is a prerequisite for extensive applications, which unfortunately remains largely unexplored. Herein, we review the recent progress regarding the mechanical deformation mechanisms in MOSs, such as CuO and ZnO nanowires (NWs). We report the phase transformation of CuO NWs resulting from oxygen vacancy migration under compressive stress and the tensile strain-induced phase transition in ZnO NWs. Moreover, the influence of electron beam irradiation on interpreting the mechanical behaviors is discussed.

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