Atomic force microscopy measurement of the Young’s modulus and hardness of single LaB6 nanowires

Abstract

We have employed the atomic force microscopy based (a) three-point bending and (b) nanoindentation methods to obtain the Young’s modulus and hardness of single LaB6 nanowires. The Young’s modulus, E=467.1±15.8GPa, is the same as that of the LaB6 single crystals but larger than the sintered polycrystalline LaB6 samples. The nanoindentation hardness of the LaB6 nanowire is H=70.6±2.1GPa at an indent depth of 4.6nm, which is higher than that of the LaB6 single crystals, LaB6 polycrystals, and W metals. A superior resistance against thermal vibration, field modification, and ion bombardment is expected for the LaB6 nanowires as a field-emission point electron source.