定位生长法制备AFM单壁碳纳米管针尖

采用粘性胶状物作为生长单壁碳纳米管(SWNTs)的催化剂前驱体, 在原子力显微镜下驱动废旧的硅探针粘附该种胶状物,随后进行化学气相沉积(CVD), 实现了SWNTs在硅探针末端的定位生长, 成功地制备出了SWNT针尖. 对SWNTs及SWNT 针尖进行了表征, 并对针尖的稳定成像条件进行了分析. 结果表明, 针尖一般由5-10 nm 的SWNT 管束构成, 伸出长度仅为几百纳米, 受热振动影响较小, 无需后处理即可稳定地成像, 成像分辨率与新的硅探针相当.

Growth of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes on the Given Locations for AFM Tips

An adhesive semisolid mixture was used as catalyst precursors for the synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). With atomic force microscopy (AFM), worn-out silicon probes were driven to approach the glue-like catalyst precursors, followed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Thus SWNTs were successfully located on the end of silicon probes as AFM tips. The as-prepared SWNTs and tips were characterized, and the effect of SWNT morphology on imaging stabilization was discussed. The results showed that most of tips were SWNT bundles, which were 5-10 nm in diameter, several hundred nanometers in length and independent of severe thermal vibration. When SWNTs were parallel to the axis of silicon pyramids, the tips could obtain high-resolution images without additional treatments.