Fabrication of individual aligned carbon nanotube for scanning probe microscope

This paper demonstrates the fabrication of a micro-cantilever equipped with a high aspect ratio carbon nanotube (CNT) tip to perform surface characterization with high spatial resolution. A single vertical CNT, synthesized on a freestanding tip-lessmicro cantilever, is intended to be used for scanning probe microscopy (SPM). E-beam lithography and lift-off technique was adopted to define a nano-sized catalyst particle. An individual CNT was then synthesized by using an inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition (ICP-CVD) system. The freestanding individual aligned CNT probe was then used to characterize a silicon nano pillar structure. The surface morphology was scanned in a contact mode and 0.1 nN set-point force. The ultra fine resolution can be characterized without wearing the probe and sample. The CNT probe shows a great potential as a high sensitive sensor operating in an optimally adjusted atomic force microscopy (AFM) system.