Patent ID: 7211795
Filing Date: 2007-05-01
Classification: C01B,G01Q,G01R

Abstract:
1. A method for fabricating carbon based nanotubes for scanning probe microscopy, the method comprising: providing an AFM tip structure, the AFM tip structure including a first end, a second end, and a length defined between the first end and the second end, the second end being a free end; attaching a carbon based nanotube structure along a portion of the length of the AFM tip structure to extend a total length of the AFM structure to include the length of the AFM tip structure and a first length associated with the carbon based nanotube structure; applying an electrical bias between the AFM tip structure and a substrate to cause a reducing of the carbon based nanotube structure from the first length to a second length, and forcing the carbon based nanotube structure in a direction parallel to the second length to reduce the second length to a third length of the carbon based nanotube structure using a pushing action along the direction parallel to the second length to cause the carbon based nanotube structure to move along a portion of the length of the AFM tip structure.