An alternative approach to carbon nanotube sample preparation for TEM investigation

A two-stage replication technique (positive replica) is shown to be suitable for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) examination of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and other one-dimensional nanostructures in their longitudinal direction. This method enables handling the fragile nanostructures, is fast and simple and allows to study the growth mechanism of nanofeatures, including the early stages of their growth. CNTs may also be examined when the growth layers are very thin, and even when only a few nanotubes are on a substrate. Replicas can be taken from various substrate shapes covered with nanostructures and from minute or specifically selected areas of the substrates. CNTs extracted by the replica are not disturbed, and their nanostructures are preserved. It is demonstrated that using positive replicas, HRTEM images from the nanosized carbon forms can also be obtained.