Scanning probe microscopy installed with nanotube probes and nanotube tweezers

Yoshikazu Nakayama

Department of Physics and Electronics, Osaka Prefecture University,
1-1 Gakuencho, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan

Recently, we have developed a well-controlled method for manipulating carbon nanotubes.1,2) The first crucial process involved is to prepare a nanotube array, so called nanotube cartridge. We have found the alternated current electrophoresis of nanotubes by which nanotubes are aligned at the knife-edge of a disposal razor. The second important process is to transfer a nanotube from the nanotube cartridge onto a substrate in a scanning-electron-microscope. Using this method, we have developed nanotube probes and nanotube tweezers that operate in a scanning probe microscope. In this talk we review how nanotubes are applied to these devices and what have appeared using nanotube probes and the basic properties of nanotube tweezers.

1) K. Yamamoto, S. Akita, Y. Nakayama, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 31, L34 (1998).
2) H. Nishijima, S. Kamo, S. Akita, Y. Nakayama, K. I. Hohmura, S. H. Yoshimura, K. Takeyasu, Appl. Phys. Lett. 74, 4061 (1999).