Force measurement with pico-Newton order resolution using a carbon nanotube probe

Abstract

Force measurement with pico-Newton (pN) order resolution is presented by using a carbon nanotube (CNT) probe. Based on the theoretical analysis, a CNT is suitable for the sensitive force measurement. A CNT probe is constructed by attaching a CNT to the tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilever, by the electron-beam-induced deposition (EBID) though the nanorobotic manipulators inside a field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). In order to attach a CNT quickly and correctly, CNTs are dispersed in ethanol by ultrasonic waves for several hours and oriented by electrophoresis. We measured pico-Newton order contact forces with a CNT probe, which is constructed with nanorobotic manipulators, by measuring deformation of a CNT probe from FE-SEM images.