Carbon-nanotube probe equipped magnetic force microscope

Abstract

Metal capped carbon nanotubes, prepared by catalytic decomposition of benzene, have been applied as a magnetic force microscope tip. The particles at the end of nanotubes were about 35 nm in diameter, which were found to be Ni3C from the electron diffraction pattern. The other end of the nanotubes was attached on the tip of conventional Si probes. The magnetization of the particles was carried out parallel to the nanotube axis by applying a pulsed magnetic field of 12.5 T. We demonstrate the performance of these carbon nanotube probes by imaging the stored signal in magnetic recording media with magnetic force microscopy.