Point-contact current-imaging atomic force microscopy: Measurement of contact resistance between single-walled carbon nanotubes in a bundle

Abstract

Conductance of bundled single-walled carbon nanotubes (b-SWCNTs) are measured by point-contact current-imaging atomic force microscopy (PCI–AFM). Simultaneous mapping of the topographic information and current through SWCNTs enable us to investigate the relationship between structure and conductance. Variation in resistance of a b-SWCNT indicates that the resistance between SWCNTs was higher than 107 Ω with strong voltage dependence. Because PCI–AFM measurement can obtain vertical conductance information, this approach appears to be a powerful technique for characterization of nanoscale electronic devices.