SINGLE-SHELL CARBON NANOTUBES IMAGED BY ATOMIC-FORCE MICROSCOPY

Single-shell carbon nanotubes, approximately 1 nm in diameter, have be en imaged for the first time by atomic force microscopy operating in b oth the contact and tapping modes. For the contact mode, the height of the imaged nanotubes has been calibrated using the atomic steps of th e silicon substrate on which the nanotubes were deposited. For the tap ping mode, the calibration was performed using an industry-standard gr ating. The paper discusses substrate and sample preparation methods fo r the characterization by scanning probe microscopy of nanotubes depos ited on a substrate.