Multi-walled carbon nanotubes integrated in microcantilevers for application of tensile strain

Individual multi-walled carbon nanotubes were positioned on silicon oxide microcantilevers using nanomanipulation tools. A silicon nanowire with a diameter of 200nm is positioned across the nanotube, and serves as shadow mask during deposition of conducting electrode material, leading to a 200 run gap in the cantilever electrode only connected by the nanotube. By deflecting the cantilever, tensile strain of the nanotube up to 0.6% can be applied, with negligible transverse deformation or bending. Measurements of the conductance as a function of strain on different samples showed large variations in the response. Using a simple resistor model we estimate the expected conductance-strain response for a multi-walled carbon nanotube, and compare to our results on multi-walled carbon nanotubes as well as measurements by others on single-walled carbon nanotubes. Integration of nanotubes or nanowires with microcantilevers could lead to highly compact force feedback sensors for characterization and manipulation of nanostructures. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.