Abstract:

    The combination of electron microscopy and in-situ nanomanipulation allows a direct measurement of the relationships between the properties of nanomaterials and their structures. Scanning electron microscopes (SEM) with its large specimen chamber can accommodate multiple nanomanipulators, which enables various multi-terminal measurements, including both electrical and mechanical measurements.
Here, we demonstrate a set of novel methods for performing in situ measurements on individual carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using a four probe nanomanipulators inside a SEM. Using these methods, the mechanical and electronic properties of individual thin CNTs were studied. In addition, the measured properties were correlated directly to the atomic structures of the CNTs.