Nanotweezers consisting of carbon nanotubes operating in an atomic force microscope

We have developed nanotweezers consisting of carbon nanotubes that will ope rate in an atomic force microscope. The two nanotubes were attached on the metal electrodes patterned on a conventional Si tip and their fixations wer e made by carbon deposition. These processes were made under the view of a scanning electron microscope. The application of a dc voltage to the two na notube arms induces their movement to approach each other. The numerical si mulation by taking into account the balance between the electrostatic attra ction and the bending moment of the nanotubes well explains the motion of t he nanotube arms. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.