Manipulation and Imaging of Individual Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes with an Atomic Force Microscope

The tip of an atomic force microscope is used to create carbon nanotube junctions by changing the position and shape of individual single‐walled carbon nanotubes on a SiO₂ surface. With this manipulation technique, we are able to bend, buckle, cross (see Figure), and break nanotubes, and to unravel a nanotube “crop circle” into a single tube. Tapping‐mode atomic force microscopy measurements of the height of a carbon nanotube on the surface always yield values smaller than the nanotube diameter. Variation of the scan parameters shows that this is due to a tapping deformation by the tip. The tapping deformation of manipulated nanotube crossings and buckles is discussed as well.