Carbon nanotube tips for surface characterization: Fabrication and properties

In this study, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are attached to conventional silicon cantilevers via an electrophoretic and electrostatic attachment technique and used as probing tips for surface characterization measurement. The imaging capability and damage resistance properties of the CNT tips are studied on a line/space array of polymeric photoresist on a silicon substrate. The results indicate that the high aspect ratio of the CNT tip enables the tracing of deeper troughs than is possible with conventional silicon probes. In addition, the CNT tip can survive many hours of imaging without degradation or crashing because of its sp2-type bonding network. Implementing the atomic force microscopy (AFM) method with CNT tips provides a simple and non-destructive technique for probing a variety of surfaces, and has immense potential as a surface characterization tool.