Visualization of nanoscale peeling of carbon nanotube on graphite

摘要

We have fabricated a manipulation system with a force detection, which uses a self-detective cantilever, in a chamber of a scanning electron microscope. This system can simultaneously manipulate a nanoparticle and detect a force needed to move it, a detective resolution of which is approximately 1 nN. In this work, nanoscale peeling processes of a multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) on the graphite substrate have been studied. We have first experimentally obtained the vertical force-distance curve with the characteristic hysteresis loop which exhibits the multistable states between line contact and point contact of the MWCNT shape during the peeling processes.