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 200 nm is positioned across the nanotube, and serves as shadow mask during deposition of conducting electrode material, leading to a 200 nm 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.