Structural and elastic properties of InN nanowires

Structural and elastic properties of InN nanowires (NWs) have been investigated. It was observed that the NWs bend spontaneously or upon meeting an obstacle in their growth path at angles that are multiples of 30°. Lithographically patterned trenches and barriers were found to influence the growth direction of the NWs, which depending on the angle of incidence, grew along the barrier or got deflected from it. Young\u27s modulus of InN NWs, measured by three point bending method using a NW suspended across a trench, was found to be 266 GPa, which is in between the moduli of bulk and thin film InN. Overall, the InN NW properties were found to be very suitable for applications in nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) and sensors