Mechanical Properties of Single Carbon Nanofibers Grown on Tips of Scanning Probe Microscopy Cantilevers by Ion Irradiation

Single carbon nanofibers (CNFs) grown on the tips of scanning probe microscopy (SPM) cantilevers by Arþ irradiation attract much attention, because of their potential in the batch fabrication of CNF probes. Here, we first revealed their mechanical characteristics. An excellent flexibility of CNF probes was confirmed by hard-contact examination (force-curve measurement) in which the cantilever was brought closer to the sample surface from a standard imaging position to a 300 nm-deeper position. Due to this flexibility and durability, even after continuous atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging using a CNF probe (900 nm in length and 30 nm in diameter) for 200min, no marked deterioration was observed in AFM resolution or probe shape. These mechanical properties of the ion-induced CNFs were comparable to those of high-quality carbon nanotube (CNT) probes. Therefore, it was concluded that CNF probes are promising as practical SPM probes. [DOI: 10.1143/JJAP.46.6324]