Effect of crystal structure on the Young’s modulus of GaP nanowires

Young's modulus of tapered mixed composition (zinc-blende with a high density twins and wurtzite stacking faults) gallium phosphide (GaP) nanowires (NWs) was investigated by atomic force microscopy. Experimental measurements were performed obtaining bending profiles as-grown inclined GaP NWs deformed applying constant to series NW surface locations at various distances from the NW/substrate interface. Numerical modeling experimental data on done Euler-Bernoulli beam theory. Measurements nano-local stiffness different interface revealed non-ideal mechanical fixation Analysis ideally fixed base resulted in experimentally measured 155 ± 20 GPa for ZB NWs, 157 ± 20 WZ respectively, which are consistence theoretically predicted bulk value 167 GPa. Thus, impacts crystal structure (WZ/ZB) defects found be negligible.