Correlating AFM Probe Morphology to Image Resolution for Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube Tips

• Published in: Nano letters Vol. 4; no. 4; pp. 725 - 731
• Main Authors: Wade, Lawrence A, Shapiro, Ian R, Ma, Ziyang, Quake, Stephen R, Collier, C. Patrick
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 01.04.2004
• Subjects: Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Electron, ion, and scanning probe microscopy; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Nanotubes; Physics; Scanning probe microscopy: scanning tunneling, atomic force, scanning optical, magnetic force, etc; Structure of solids and liquids; crystallography; CVD; Atomic force microscopy; Scanning electron microscopy; Image resolution; Single-wall nanotube; Inorganic compounds; Transmission electron microscopy; Morphology; Carbon nanotubes; Crystal growth from vapors; Experimental study; Nanostructured materials
• ISSN: 1530-6984; 1530-6992
• DOI: 10.1021/nl049976q

Scanning and transmission electron microscopy were used to image hundreds of single-wall carbon nanotube probes and to correlate probe morphology with AFM image resolution. Several methods for fabricating such probes were evaluated, resulting in a procedure that produces image-quality single-wall nanotube probes at a rate compatible with their routine use. Surprisingly, about one-third of the tips image with resolution better than the nanotube probe diameter and, in exceptional cases, with resolution better than 1 nm. This represents the highest lateral resolution reported to date for a SWNT probe.