Nanotubes as nanoprobes in scanning probe microscopy
Nanotubes as nanoprobes in scanning probe microscopy
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DOI：
10.1038/384147a0
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发表时间：
1996-11-14
期刊：
影响因子：
64.8
通讯作者：
Smalley, RE
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Dai, HJ;Hafner, JH;Smalley, RE
自从扫描隧道显微镜(1)发明以来，在宏观世界和单个纳米尺度物体之间建立物理联系的价值越来越明显，无论是对这些物体的探测（2-4），还是对纳米尺度的直接操作（5-7）和制造（8,10）。虽然在将这类装置的宏观探头的位置控制到埃级精度以及设计灵敏的探测方案方面取得了很好的进展，但在改进探头尖端本身方面做得很少(4)。理想情况下，尖端应与被调查对象一样精确地定义，并且不仅在高真空中，而且在空气和水中反复使用后应保持其完整性。目前用于扫描探针显微镜的最好的尖端有时确实能达到亚纳米的分辨率，但它们很少能在“尖端撞击”表面时存活下来，而且在成像过程中很少能清楚尖端的原子结构。在这里，我们表明碳纳米管（11,12）可能构成扫描探针显微镜的定义良好的尖端。我们在传统原子力显微镜的硅悬臂上安装了几微米长的纳米管。由于它们的灵活性，尖端可以抵抗尖端碰撞的损坏，而它们的细长细度允许在表面地形上成像尖锐的凹陷。我们也已经能够利用纳米管的导电性，将它们用于扫描隧道显微镜。
SINCE the invention of the scanning tunnelling microscope(1), the value of establishing a physical connection between the macroscopic world and individual nanometre-scale objects has become increasingly evident, both for probing these objects(2-4) and for direct manipulation(5-7) and fabrication(8,10) at the nanometre scale. While good progress has been made in controlling the position of the macroscopic probe of such devices to suh-angstrom accuracy, and in designing sensitive detection schemes, less has been done to improve the probe tip itself(4). Ideally the tip should be as precisely defined as the object under investigation, and should maintain its integrity after repeated use not only in high vacuum but also in air and water. The best tips currently used for scanning probe microscopy do sometimes achieve sub-nanometre resolution, but they seldom survive a 'tip crash' with the surface, and it is rarely clear what the atomic configuration of the tip is during imaging. Here we show that carbon nanotubes(11,12) might constitute well defined tips for scanning probe microscopy. We have attached individual nanotubes several micrometres in length to the silicon cantilevers of conventional atomic force microscopes. Because of their flexibility, the tips are resistant to damage from tip crashes, while their slenderness permits imaging of sharp recesses in surface topography. We have also been able to exploit the electrical conductivity of nanotubes by using them for scanning tunnelling microscopy.