Three-dimensional evaluation of an independent multi-walled carbon nanotube probe by tomography with high-resolution transmission electron microscope.

We evaluated an independent multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) probe by using tomography with a high-resolution transmission electron microscope to verify the three-dimensional structure of the probe tip. The new method of probe evaluation revealed the following features: (i) cutting the end of the MWNT probe caused the wall structure to disintegrate and encapsulated the graphene sheets fragmented by the discharged pulse; (ii) the cap of the MWNT probe was an open cylinder covered by walls similar in shape to a rectangular slit; (iii) the grooves of the inner walls of the MWNT probe, which were created by the discharge cutting method, maintained a cylindrical shape that was different from the peeling-off mechanism.