Young's modulus is one of the most fundamental parameter to depict the elasticity of a given material. It determines the basic elastic deformation capacity of a structure under a bear load. When the diameter of nanocrystals is in the scale of several nanometers, the Young's modulus is quite different from that of bulk. In order to determine elastic deformation capacity of nanocrystals, it is necessary to study the size dependent Young's modulus. Based on above consideration, a simple thermodynamic model is developed for size dependent Young's modulus of nanocrystals according to the "universal" binding energy curve and Laplace-Young equation. According to this model, the Young's modulus of several FCC metallic films is predicted and the Young's modulus increases with the size reduction. The prediction is agreed with computer simulation results.
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