Device and method for manufacturing carbon nanotube

Abstract

There is provided a device for manufacturing carbon nanotube. The devices has a chamber support part for supporting a chamber which contains a plurality of microstructures, each of which is separated from each other by an interval; a gas providing part, connected to the chamber, for flowing at least one reactant gas, including raw material gas for manufacturing carbon nanotubes, through the chamber; a measurement part for measuring a change in physical properties of at least one of the plurality of microstructures by using detecting part; and a control part for controlling the gas providing part based on the measured change in physical properties.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device and method for manufacturing carbon nanotube.

2. Related Art Statements

Up to now there have been developed various techniques for forming carbon nanotubes. However, in any of the techniques, it is very difficult to know the nature of the generated nanotubes and correct number of the nanotubes, so that until now there has not been developed a technique or device for forming nanotubes at desired locations with the desired number of nanotubes. For example, as conventional technologies of the nanotube generation, there have been developed various methods and devices for forming carbon nanotubes at high temperature (equal to or more than 1000 degrees centigrade). Moreover, there is a technique for generating nanotubes at low temperature (about 600 degrees centigrade) by Shigeo Maruyama who is one of the inventors of the present invention, et al. (Refer to Japanese documents: Maruyama Shigeo, “Growth of Nanotube by the cold CVD with Alcohol (experiment and simulation)”, Journal of Japanese Association for Crystal Growth cooperation (2002), Vol. 30, No. 4, pp. 32-41; Shigeo Maruyama, “Synthetic Technology of the Single Layer Carbon Nanotube with Alcohol”, Industrial material (2003), vol. 51, No. 1, pp. 38-41; and Shigeo Maruyama et al., “High Purity Generation at low temperature by Single Layer Carbon Nanotube with Low Temperature CCVD technique with Alcohol”, Journal of Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (B part), (2003), vol. 69, No. 680, pp. 918-924.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device and method for manufacturing carbon nanotube.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems in the conventional devices and methods, there is provided a method for manufacturing carbon nanotube, the method comprises the steps of:

• • flowing at least one reactant gas through at least one reaction region including a plurality of microstructures, each of which is separated from each other by an interval, and to generate and grow at least one carbon nanotube such that a bridge is made between the microstructures;
  • measuring a change in physical properties (for example, a minute change in physical properties (e.g., mechanical or optical physical properties) when a carbon nanotube bridge is built) of at least one of the plurality of microstructures by using a detecting means (for example, force sensor which uses a cantilever, or the like); and
  • controlling the generation and growth of at least one carbon nanotube based on the measured change in physical properties.

According to the present invention, it is possible to easily form carbon nanotubes at desired locations with desired number of nanotubes, because the nanotubes are manufactured while monitoring the forming of the nanotubes such that number and properties (for example, electric conductivity or length of a carbon nanotube) of the nanotubes generated and grown are correctly or precisely measured by the detecting means. For instance, it is assumed that one or more detecting means for detecting physical properties are provided in both or either a microstructure A and a microstructure B, at which one or more bridges of carbon nanotubes are built therebetween, desired number of the carbon nanotubes can be formed while monitoring the growth of the carbon nanotubes by stopping the generation and growth of the carbon nanotubes if when the number of the tubes, which have bridged between the microstructures A and B, reaches to a desired number based on the monitoring result. According to this invention, manufactured carbon nanotubes can be applied to various sensors, or various devices (e.g., a field effect transistor or optical crystal) which use nanotubes, because carbon nanotubes can be formed and grown at one or more desired locations with a desired number of tubes.

In an embodiment of the manufacturing method according to the present invention, the detecting means includes at least one, or combination, selected from the group consisting of a force sensor (e.g., minute vibrating cantilever type force sensor), an electrical resistance meter, optical lever method measurement instrument, and a Raman spectrometer.

According to the present embodiment, when a mechanical method using force sensor is employed, it is possible to measure mechanical properties regardless that the generated or formed carbon nanotubes are electrically conductive or semi-conductors. Meanwhile, when electric resistance is measured, it is possible to identify or figure out the number and characteristics of the carbon nanotubes such that how many semiconductor nanotubes are formed and that how many nanotubes having electrical conductivity are generated. Therefore, when changes in a plurality of physical properties are obtained using these various measurement devices, it is possible to manufacture desired nanotubes while correctly or precisely grasping the number and types/kinds (e.g., diameter of a tube, or electric conductivity, etc.) of the nanotubes.

In another embodiment of the manufacturing method according to the present invention, each of the plurality of microstructures includes at least one minute vibrating cantilever.

According to the present embodiment, it is possible to measure the lengths, properties, and the number of the formed carbon nanotubes with a high degree of accuracy, because the physical properties of the minute vibrating cantilever slightly varies depending on the minute stimulus arising from the nanotube generation (i.e., a nanotube bridge is finished up between the cantilevers/microstructures).

Meanwhile, silicone is preferable as a material to form a cantilever, but at 1000 degrees centigrade, in which normal nanotube forming method is performed, it is difficult to measure the mechanical characteristics of the silicone. However, when the above-described Low Temperature CCVD technique with alcohol by Maruyama is employed, nanotubes can be formed at low temperature such as approximately 600 degrees centigrade. This temperature, 600 degrees centigrade, is within the range (it is desirable to be equal or less than 700 degrees centigrade) of the elastic deformation of silicone. Therefore, if the Low Temperature CCVD technique is used, the minute changes in physical properties of the cantilever may sufficiently be measured. Hence, in this embodiment, when microstructures having cantilevers made of silicone are employed, it is preferable that the method includes a step of controlling temperature of a reaction region, at which the microstructures having cantilevers exist, to be within the range from approximately 600 to approximately 700 degrees centigrade.

In still another embodiment of the manufacturing method according to the present invention, the method further comprises providing vibration to the minute vibrating cantilever from without or from outside of the cantilever by using an electrostatic actuator or a piezoelectric actuator.

In yet another embodiment of the manufacturing method according to the present invention, there are a plurality of minute vibrating cantilevers, each having a different resonance frequency, the method further comprises adjusting a frequency of the provided vibration from without by the providing vibration step according to a desired resonance frequency of the minute vibrating cantilevers.

In yet another embodiment of the manufacturing method according to the present invention, there are an array of reaction regions, in other words reaction regions are accumulated on large scale to form the array, the method further comprises controlling at least one selected from the group consisting of heating of a reaction region, flow rate of reactant gas, and electric field for every reaction region.

According to the present embodiment, it is possible to manufacture only the desired number of the nanotubes having desired properties in a large quantity. For instance, when only certain reaction regions, at which microstructures exist where one or more nanotube bridges should be built therebetween, are heated according to this method, only the certain reaction regions are activated, and therefore this makes remaining reaction regions to not generate or form the carbon nanotubes in these remaining non-activated reaction regions. In addition, due to that electric filed is applied to spaces between certain microstructures at which one or more nanotubes bridges should be built therebetween, a direction of the growth of the nanotubes can be controlled.

In yet another embodiment of the manufacturing method according to the present invention, the heating of a reaction region done by a spot lamp, which locally heats by irradiating only a limited part of the reaction regions, or a heater having a resistance heating element.

In yet another embodiment of the manufacturing method according to the present invention, each of reaction regions included in the array is provided in each of micro flow channels which are provided in a substrate by MEMS (Micro electro mechanical systems) technology.

In yet another embodiment of the manufacturing method according to the present invention, each of the reaction regions is connected to a plurality of micro flow channels in a different direction, and the method further comprises controlling a flow direction of the reactant gas which passes through the reaction region by adjusting a flow of the reactant gas for every micro flow channel, and to generate and grow the at least one carbon nanotube.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to form and grow a nanotube in desired direction by flowing reactant gas in the desired direction through which a nanotube should be formed and grown, because the nanotube tends to grow according to (i.e., along with) the flow direction of a reactant gas.

In yet another embodiment of the manufacturing method according to the present invention, the method further comprises the steps of:

• • determining whether or not each of the generated and grown carbon nanotubes is a desired one based on the measured change in physical properties; and
  • burning up only one or more carbon nanotubes, which are determined that each of which is not desired one in the determining step, of the generated and grown carbon nanotubes either by applying electric current to the one or more non-desired carbon nanotubes via electrodes provided or disposed in the microstructures or by flowing an oxygen gas through the one or more reaction regions in which the one or more non-desired carbon nanotubes are formed therein.

In yet another embodiment of the manufacturing method according to the present invention, the generation and growth of the at least one carbon nanotube is done in or under a non-oxidizing atmosphere (for example, by flowing an argon gas containing hydrogen through the reaction regions).

According to this embodiment, changes in physical properties such as optical or mechanical characteristics by the oxidation reaction of the minute structure can be avoided by preventing the microstructures from being oxidized, so that measurement error of the change in physical properties can be confined within a minimum range.

In an alternative embodiment, the method may further comprises calculating compensated values regarding mechanical properties from a temperature and an elapsed time by compensating the error of change in mechanical properties by oxidative reaction from heat and oxygen during nanotube forming (surfaces of the silicone will be converted into oxide silicone by heating).

By way of easy explanation the aspect of the present invention has been described as the methods, however it is understood that the present invention may be realized as devices corresponding to the methods.

For example, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device for manufacturing carbon nanotube, the device comprises:

• • a chamber support means for supporting a chamber which contains a plurality of microstructures, each of which is separated from each other by an interval or distance;
  • a gas providing means, connected to the chamber, for flowing at least one reactant gas, including raw material gas for manufacturing carbon nanotubes, through the chamber;
  • a measurement means for measuring a change in physical properties of at least one of the plurality of microstructures by using a detecting means; and
  • a control means for controlling the gas providing means based on the measured change in physical properties.

In another embodiment of the manufacturing device according to the present invention, the device further comprises:

• • at least one heating means for heating the plurality of microstructures in the chamber; and/or
  • an electric field providing means for providing electric field to the plurality of microstructures in the chamber via at least one electrode connected to any of the plurality of microstructures,
  • and the controlling means controls the heating means and/or the electric field providing means based on the measured change in physical properties.

In still another embodiment of the manufacturing device according to the present invention, the detecting means includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a force sensor, an electrical resistance meter, measurement instrument using optical lever method, and a Raman spectrometer.

In yet another embodiment of the manufacturing device according to the present invention, each of the plurality of microstructures includes at least one minute vibrating cantilever, i.e., a cantilever which minutely vibrates.

In yet another embodiment of the manufacturing device according to the present invention, the device further comprises:

• • either an electrostatic actuator or a piezoelectric actuator for providing vibration to the minute vibrating cantilever from without, or outside of the cantilever.

In yet another embodiment of the manufacturing device according to the present invention, there are a plurality of minute vibrating cantilevers, each having a different resonance frequency, the device further comprises a controlling means for controlling electrostatic actuator or a piezoelectric actuator to adjust a frequency of the provided vibration from without, or outside the cantilever, according to a desired resonance frequency of the minute vibrating cantilevers.

In yet another embodiment of the manufacturing device according to the present invention, the device further comprises a temperature control means for controlling temperature of a reaction region, at which the microstructures having cantilevers exist, to be within the range from about 600 to 700 degrees centigrade.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a basic configuration of an embodiment of the manufacturing device for manufacturing carbon nanotube;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the vacuum chamber (i.e., quartz tube) to use in the nanotube manufacturing technique according to the present this invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view depicting a pair of microstructures to use in the method for manufacturing carbon nanotube according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a part of a manufacturing device including an array of the reaction regions to use in the method for manufacturing carbon nanotube according to the present invention; and

FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic block diagrams illustrating an alternative embodiment of reaction regions to use in the method for manufacturing carbon nanotube according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Several preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a basic configuration of an embodiment of the manufacturing device for manufacturing carbon nanotube. As shown in FIG. 1, a manufacturing device comprises: a vacuum chamber (quartz tube) 1 capable of being optically observed from without; a reaction region 3 (which will be explained in detail in FIGS. 2 and 3), at which disposed a pair of cantilevers which are facing each other, in the vacuum chamber 1; a spot lamp 5 for heating the reaction region to stimulate the growth of a carbon nanotube; a reactant gas feeding means 7, which is connected to one end of the vacuum chamber 1, for feeding reactant gas; a vacuum pump 9, which is connected to other end of the chamber, for vacuuming the chamber to recover the reactant gas; an objective lens 11 for observing the generation and growth of a carbon nanotube; an argon laser 13; an optical filter 15; and a split photodiode 17.

The reactant gas feeding means 7 may feed or provide not only a reactant gas including alcohol vapor (source of carbon), which mainly consisting of carbon and hydrogen, as a raw material of nanotubes, but also an argon or hydrogen gas. Non-oxidizing atmosphere is used to prevent members of the reaction region, such as cantilevers or carbon nanotube, from alternation or degradation. When a reactant gas is fed into the vacuum chamber during heating the reaction region 3, one or more carbon nanotubes start to generate and grow from a front edge of one cantilever toward a front edge of other cantilever. When just a carbon nanotube is connected to the other cantilever, in other words a carbon nanotube bridge is finished up or built between the two cantilevers, a position, mechanical properties or optical properties of the both of either of the cantilever would changes. These changes in physical properties are measured using a force sensor using one or more cantilevers (members/elements other than cantilevers are not illustrated), or a measurement system for measuring minute change of position utilizing an optical lever method with an optical system having an argon laser, an optical filter and a split photodiode. The growth and generation of a carbon nanotube(s) can be controlled by stopping supply of the reactant gas, or by increasing the heat of the reaction region to prompt or activate the growth of the nanotubes.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the vacuum chamber (i.e., quartz tube) to use in the nanotube manufacturing technique according to the present this invention. Referring to FIG. 2, there is provided a reaction region 20 for growth a carbon nanotube(s) and microstructures, i.e., cantilevers 22a and 22b, which are facing each other, are disposed in the reaction region. The cantilever 22a is connected to an electrostatic actuator for vibrating the cantilever. As shown FIG. 2, a change in physical properties, for example optical vibrations, is measured while generating the carbon nanotube.

In this embodiment an optical system for measuring the optical vibrations (optical lever) is employed. This optical system mainly includes a laser spot irradiation part 24 for irradiating a spot of laser light and a measuring part 26 using a split photodiode. Optionally, there is provided an optical filter and thus it can be distinguished between the heat ray from the spot lamp and the laser light from the laser spot irradiation part. The laser irradiation part 24 can be used as a light source for a Raman absorption measurement, but additional light source and measurement device for Raman absorption can be provided.

According to the number of carbon nanotubes to desire to measure or generate, a distance between the microstructures and a mechanical resonance frequency of each microstructure can be varied. It is preferable to set the sensitivity of a part to low when the part is a place to want to form a large amount of nanotubes, and it is preferable to set the sensitivity of a part to high when the part is a place to want to form or generate a small amount of nanotubes. It is sufficient that change in physical properties of either one side of the cantilevers, at which a nanotube bridge is formed therebetween, can be measured. A vibration measurement means can be provided in a cantilever, which is the other side of being bridged. A vibrating means for vibrating a cantilever(s) from without can be an electrostatic actuator or a piezoelectric actuator. A piezoelectric actuator 30 applies a voltage between the cantilever to desire to be vibrated and any member such as a substrate, and to actuate the cantilever by electrostatic force. This piezoelectric actuator can be located in the vacuum chamber or quartz tube. When a vibration field is provided from without or outside and a cantilever which resonates with vibrations by the vibration field can be measured, there is no need to dispose the actuator in the vacuum tube. For example, the vacuum chamber or quartz tube for reaction can be vibrated outside the chamber using various frequencies. Each microstructure has one or more electrodes (not shown in FIG. 2) and an electrical resistance meter 32 measures a change in resistance using the electrodes or the electrostatic actuator 30 vibrates or oscillates the microstructures using the electrodes. It is preferable that the electrodes are made of only substances, such as titanium or chrome, which do not have influence on the purification of carbon nanotubes.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view depicting a pair of microstructures to use in the method for manufacturing carbon nanotube according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, there is microstructures 40a and 40b having cantilevers 41a and 41b respectively, in which ends of respective cantilever beams are facing each other, and the ends or edges of the beams are disposed in the reaction region. One or more nanotubes are generated or formed between the cantilevers 41a and 41b. The microstructures 40a and 40b has a three-layer structure consisting of cantilevers 41a and 41b, made of silicone, insulation layers 43a and 43b, and substrates 45a and 45b, which are made of silicone and support the insulation layers and cantilevers, respectively. In order to be sensitive to changes of physical properties of the cantilever, the cantilevers are extremely thinned. In a similar fashion, in order to increase the sensitive, it is preferable to elongate the beams of the cantilevers as much as possible. When a voltage is applied between the cantilever and substrate, the cantilever starts to vibrate up and down because the cantilever is very thin and this vibration is measured using various types of sensors during nanotube generation, and thus the status of the nanotube manufacture can be grasped appropriately. In this embodiment, cantilever 41a is kept away from the cantilever 41b by approximately 5 micrometers and the beam of the cantilever 41a is vibrated up and down by approximately 1.5 micrometers during measuring. In addition, the cantilever beam is 170 micrometers in length, 10 micrometers in width, and 2 micrometer in thickness. The original values of mechanical physical properties of the lever are spring constant k=0.7[N/m], resonant frequency f=90 kHz. Although Shift or change of physical properties varies depending on kind, characteristics and length of a nanotube when a carbon nanotube bridge is built or just connected, in this embodiment shift values per nanotube are approximately Δk=0.004[N/m] and Δf=270 Hz and these values can sufficiently be measured using known various sensors or measurement devices.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a part of a manufacturing device including an array of the reaction regions to use in the method for manufacturing carbon nanotube according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, a substrate 50 is processed to provide a plurality of micro flow channels 52a, 52b, and 52c using the MEMS technology (For convenience, only three flow channels are illustrated, but actually a great number of micro flow channels are provided). The micro flow channels are connected to gas providing means 54a, 54b, and 54c, respectively, which control a flow rate separately. The micro flow channels have reaction regions 56a, 56b, and 56c, respectively (which have a plurality of microstructures, not shown). In addition, there are provided spot lamps 58a, 58b, and 58c for heating each reaction regions separately. A desired local part (e.g., only a specific cantilever) can be locally heated by adjusting focus of a spot of each spot lamp. They can be an array of lamps or each heating spot lamp (i.e., its focus point or target area) can be controlled from outside. Instead of spot lamps, each reaction region has a resistance unit (not illustrated) to heat its area with resistance heating. Also, the array of the minute resistor can be used. In this way, the manufacturing device can be arranged with more than one micro flow channels like an array and a device for controlling flow of a reactant gas and heating in each of channel can be utilized. In the FIG. 4 it is not illustrated but the flow channel top can be sealed with the transparent quartz panel or the like. In this connection, the minute flow channels may be an integral construction having both a substrate to desire to form tubes and micro flow channels. Alternatively, the flow channel can be another member, which can be removed from the substrate if tube growth finished. The gas feeding means may use not only alcohol gas, which is a main component of the reactant gas, but also various gasses such as an argon gas, a hydrogen gas, or an oxygen gas. In addition, there are provided a gas flow rate control means in the channels, and thus the gas flow rate can be varied or regulated using these gas flow rate control means depending on measured changes in physical properties which are obtained during generating and growing carbon nanotubes.

FIG. 5A is a schematic block diagram illustrating an alternative embodiment of reaction regions to use in the method for manufacturing carbon nanotube according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5A, a reaction region 60 including a plurality of microstructures are connected to a plurality of minute flow channel from different directions. These minute flow channels includes inlets 62a, 62b and 62c for feeding a reactant gas and outlets 64a, 64b and 64c for discharging a gas. Every micro flow channel has one or more valves. For instance when only a pair of valves, which are located in the inlet 62a and the outlet 64a respectively, are opened, a reactant gas flow through the reaction region 60 in one direction indicated by the arrow at A in FIG. 5. Therefore the gas flows along with the dotted lines with the arrows in FIG. 5B in one direction and one or more nanotubes forms along with the flow direction. Thus one or more carbon nanotube can be formed in a desired direction. FIG. 5B is an enlarged view of FIG. 5A in that. As shown in FIG. 5B, the reaction region 60 includes a plurality of microstructures (group A) in a left side and a plurality of microstructures (group B) in a right side, which face to the group B. If gas is fed to the reaction region along with the dotted lines with arrows, carbon nanotubes are generated and grown along with the direction of the gas flow (i.e., dotted lines) such as illustrated carbon nanotubes 66a and 66b. Because the value of the vibration physical properties of each minute structure depends on the length of the completed form of a tube (i.e., carbon nanotube bridge), it is possible to easily and simply grasp in real time whether or not the desired tube formed in the desired combination of the microstructures/cantilevers. Also, in a similar principle, when a plurality of electrodes are disposed around or adjacent to the reaction region (cantilevers), it is possible to form and grow carbon nanotubes in a desired direction by adjusting the direction of applied electric field.

Further, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, not to be used to interpret the scope of the invention. Various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing carbon nanotube, the method comprising the steps of:

flowing at least one reactant gas through at least one reaction region including a plurality of microstructures, each of which is separated from each other by an interval, and to generate and grow at least one carbon nanotube such that a bridge is made between the microstructures;

measuring a change in physical properties of at least one of the plurality of microstructures by using detecting means; and

controlling the generation and growth of at least one carbon nanotube based on the measured change in physical properties.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a force sensor, an electrical resistance meter, optical lever method measurement instrument, and a Raman spectrometer.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of microstructures includes at least one minute vibrating cantilever.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising providing vibration to the minute vibrating cantilever from without by using an electrostatic actuator or a piezoelectric actuator.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein there are a plurality of minute vibrating cantilevers, each having a different resonance frequency, the method further comprising adjusting a frequency of the provided vibration from without by the providing vibration step according to a desired resonance frequency of the minute vibrating cantilevers.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein there are an array of reaction regions, the method further comprising controlling at least one selected from the group consisting of heating of a reaction region, flow rate of reactant gas, and electric field for every reaction region.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the heating of a reaction region done by a spot lamp, which locally heats by irradiating only a limited part, or a heater having a resistance heating element.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein each of reaction regions included in the array is provided in each of micro flow channels which are provided in a substrate by MEMS technology.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein each of the reaction regions is connected to a plurality of micro flow channels in a different direction, and wherein the method further comprising controlling a flow direction of the reactant gas which passes through the reaction region by adjusting a flow of the reactant gas for every micro flow channel, and to generate and grow the at least one carbon nanotube.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether or not each of the generated and grown carbon nanotubes is a desired one based on the measured change in physical properties; and

burning up only one or more carbon nanotubes, which are determined that each of which is not desired one in the determining step, of the generated and grown carbon nanotubes either by applying electric current to the one or more non-desired carbon nanotubes via electrodes provided in the microstructures or by flowing an oxygen gas through the reaction region in which the one or more non-desired carbon nanotubes are formed therein.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generation and growth of the at least one carbon nanotube is done in a non-oxidizing atmosphere.

12. A device for manufacturing carbon nanotube, comprising:

chamber support means for supporting a chamber which contains a plurality of microstructures, each of which is separated from each other by an interval;

gas providing means, connected to the chamber, for flowing at least one reactant gas, including raw material gas for manufacturing carbon nanotubes, through the chamber;

measurement means for measuring a change in physical properties of at least one of the plurality of microstructures by using detecting means; and

control means for controlling the gas providing means based on the measured change in physical properties.

13. The device according to claim 12, further comprising:

at least one heating means for heating the plurality of microstructures in the chamber; and/or

electric field providing means for providing electric field to the plurality of microstructures in the chamber via at least one electrode connected to any of the plurality of microstructures,

and wherein the controlling means controls the heating means and/or the electric field providing means based on the measured change in physical properties.

14. The device according to claim 12, wherein the detecting means includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a force sensor, an electrical resistance meter, optical lever method measurement instrument, and a Raman spectrometer.

15. The device according to claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of microstructures includes at least one minute vibrating cantilever.

16. The device according to claim 12, further comprising:

either an electrostatic actuator or a piezoelectric actuator for providing vibration to the minute vibrating cantilever from without.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein there are a plurality of minute vibrating cantilevers, each having a different resonance frequency, the device further comprising controlling means for controlling electrostatic actuator or a piezoelectric actuator to adjust a frequency of the provided vibration from without according to a desired resonance frequency of the minute vibrating cantilevers.