Abstract: A nanotube probe assembled under real-time observation inside an electron microscope, the probe including a nanotube; a holder for holding the nanotube; and a fastening means for fastening the nanotube at a base end portion thereof to the holder; and the tip end portion of the nanotube protrudes from the holder. The method for manufacturing a nanotube probe includes the steps of setting up a nanotube and a holder inside an electron microscope; allowing a base end portion of the nanotube, with a tip end portion thereof protruding, to come into contact with the holder; and irradiating electron beam to the base end portion of the nanotube to form a carbon film at the base end portion of the nanotube, or forming a fused part at the base end portion of the nanotube, thus fastening the base end portion of the nanotube to the holder by the carbon film.

Abstract: The operation method of nanotweezers including the steps of: confirming the position of a nanoscale material by way of imaging the surface of a specimen by a scanning type probe microscope; moving the nanotweezers to the position over the nanoscale material; descending the nanotweezers which are in an opened state and then closing the nanotweezers so as to hold the nanoscale material; raising the nanotweezers that hold the nanoscale material and then moving the nanotweezers to an objective position; and descending the nanotweezers that hold the nanoscale material and then opening the nanotweezers, thus releasing the nanoscale material on the objective position which is on the surface of the specimen and is where a nanoscale construction is constructed.

Abstract: To provide nanotweezers and a nanomanipulator which allow great miniaturization of the component and are capable of gripping various types of nano-substances such as insulators, semiconductors and conductors and of gripping nano-substances of various shapes. Electrostatic nanotweezers 2 are characterized in that the nanotweezers 2 are comprised of a plurality of nanotubes whose base end portions are fastened to a holder 6 so that the nanotubes protrude from the holder 6, coating films which insulate and cover the surfaces of the nanotubes, and lead wires 10, 10 which are connected to two of the nanotubes 8, 9; and the tip ends of the two nanotubes are freely opened and closed by means of an electrostatic attractive force generated by applying a voltage across these lead wires.

Abstract: The coated nanotube surface signal probe constructed from a nanotube, a holder which holds the nanotube, a coating film fastening a base end portion of the nanotube to a surface of the holder by way of adhering the base end portion on the surface of holder in a range of a base end portion length with an electric contact state and covering a specified region including the base end portion with the coating film maintaining the electric contact state between the nanotube and the holder, a tip end portion of the nanotube being caused to protrude from the holder; and the tip end portion is used as a probe needle so as to scan surface signals. The coated nanotube surface signal probe can be used as a probe in AFM (Atomic Force Microscope), STM (Scanning Tunneling Microscope) other SPM (Scanning Probe Microscope).

Abstract: The present invention realizes a probe with a high resolution, high rigidity and high bending elasticity which can be used in a scanning probe microscope and makes it possible to pick up images of surface atoms with a high resolution. Also, a high-precision input-output probe which can be used in high-density magnetic information processing devices is also realized.

Abstract: A scanning type microscope that captures substance information of the surface of a specimen by the tip end of a nanotube probe needle fastened to a cantilever, in which an organic gas is decomposed by a focused ion beam in a focused ion beam apparatus, and the nanotube is bonded to the cantilever with a deposit of the decomposed component thus produced. With this probe, the quality of the nanotube probe needle can be improved by removing an unnecessary deposit adhering to the nanotube tip end portion using a ion beam, by cutting an unnecessary part of the nanotube in order to control length of the probe needle and by injecting ions into the tip end portion of the nanotube.

Abstract: An electroconductive container that stores a nanotube product, including a container body and a cover that opens and closes the container body in which both container body and cover are made of an electroconductive material. An electroconductive fixing member can by provided in the bottom of the container for holding a nanotube product in an immovable fashion.

Abstract: To provide nanotweezers and a nanomanipulator which allow great miniaturization of the component and are capable of gripping various types of nano-substances such as insulators, semiconductors and conductors and of gripping nano-substances of various shapes.

Abstract: To provide nanotweezers and a nanomanipulator which allow great miniaturization of the component and are capable of gripping various types of nano-substances such as insulators, semiconductors and conductors and of gripping nano-substances of various shapes.

Abstract: A method for sharpening a nanotube including the steps of: connecting the base end portion of a nanotube to an electrode with the tip end portion of the nanotube protruded from the electrode; connecting the tip end portion of the nanotube to another electrode; applying a voltage between the electrodes so as to cause an electric current to flow in the middle portion of the nanotube which is located between the two electrodes; evaporating constituent atoms of the nanotube layer by layer from a evaporation starting region, which is located in the middle region of the nanotube (and can be a crystal defect region, or a curved portion), by the heat generated by the electric current, thus reducing the diameter of the evaporation starting region; and cutting the evaporation starting region that has the reduced diameter, thus forming a sharpened end on the nanotube.

Abstract: The present invention realizes a probe with a high resolution, high rigidity and high bending elasticity which can be used in a scanning probe microscope and makes it possible to pick up images of surface atoms with a high resolution. Also, a high-precision input-output probe which can be used in high-density magnetic information processing devices is also realized.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an indium-tin-iron type catalyst that is used to obtain carbon nanocoils that have an external diameter of 1000 nm or less, the method comprising a first process that forms an organic solution by mixing an indium-containing organic compound and a tin-containing organic compound with an organic solvent, a second process that forms an organic film by coating a substrate with the thus obtained organic solution, a third process that forms an indium-tin film by baking this organic film, and a fourth process that forms an iron film on the surface of this indium-tin film.

Abstract: A nano-magnetic head for inputting and outputting magnetic signals with nano-region precision on a magnetic recording medium such as magnetic tapes, magnetic cards, magnetic disks, magnetic drums, etc. The nano-magnetic head uses a nanotube with its base end portion fastened to a holder that is at an end of an AFM cantilever. The tip end portion of the nanotube protrudes from the holder, and a nanocoil is wound around the outer circumference of the tip end portion of the nanotube so that signals are inputted and outputted at both ends of the nanocoil. By way of lining up ferromagnetic metal atoms in the hollow portion of the nanotube, it is possible to strengthen the magnetic signal. The nano-magnetic head is combinable with a signal controller, thus forming a nano-magnetic head device.

Abstract: A lithographic method using an ultra-fine probe needle in which a base end of a nanotube is fastened to a holder with the tip end of the nanotube protruded from the holder. The tip end of the thus obtained nanotube probe needle is brought to contact a sample surface, a voltage is applied across the probe needle and sample, and the probe needle is moved while the sample substance in the area of contact of the probe needle is removed by the application of the voltage, thus forming a groove-form pattern on the sample surface.

Abstract: A method for measuring the mass of nano-substances including the steps of gripping a nano-substance with a nanotweezer gripping portion made of a plurality of nanotubes, resonating the nanotweezer gripping portion in this gripping state, measuring a resulting first characteristic frequency, and obtaining the mass of the gripped nano-substance by comparing the first and second characteristic frequencies, where the second characteristic frequency is the characteristic frequency of the nanotweezer gripping portion with no nano-substance gripped thereby. The gripping portion is caused to resonate electrically by applying an AC voltage between the nanotweezer gripping portion and an electrode disposed near the nanotweezer gripping portion. The gripping portion is caused also to resonate mechanically by way of expanding and contracting a piezo-electric element disposed on a main body that supports the nanotweezer gripping portion.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing carbon nanocoils that uses a reactor, including the steps of: heating an interior of the reactor, causing a hydrocarbon gas to flow in the reactor, dispersing an indium/tin/iron-based catalyst in a form of particles in the hydrocarbon gas, and allowing carbon nanocoils to grow on a surface of the catalyst while decomposing the hydrocarbon near the catalyst. The method can be comprised of the steps of: disposing a rotor inside a reactor, heating an area near the peripheral surface of the rotor, causing a hydrocarbon gas to flow in the reactor, coating a part of the peripheral surface of the rotor with an indium/tin/iron-based catalyst that is in a form of particles, allowing carbon nanocoils to grow on a surface of the catalyst coated on the rotating rotor, and collecting carbon nanocoils, which are grown during a rotation of the rotor, from the rotor.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing carbon nanocoils which are grown by winding carbon atoms in a helical configuration and which have an external diameter of 1000 nm or less, the method comprising the steps of: placing an indium-tin-iron type catalyst inside a reactor, heating an area around the catalyst to a temperature equal to or greater than temperature at which hydrocarbon used as a raw material is broken down by an action of the catalyst, causing hydrocarbon gas to flow through the reactor so that the gas contacts the catalyst, and allowing carbon nanocoils to grow on a surface of the catalyst while the hydrocarbon is broken down in the vicinity of the catalyst. The indium-tin-iron type catalyst may be obtained by: a mixed catalyst of indium oxide and tin oxide, and a thin film of iron which is formed on a surface of this mixed catalyst.

Abstract: A light receiving and emitting probe including a conductive nanotube probe needle with its base end fastened to a holder and its tip end protruded, a light receiving and emitting body formed on this probe needle, a lead wire fastened to the light receiving and emitting body, and a power supply that applies an electric voltage between both ends of the lead wire and the probe needle. Light is emitted and received by the light receiving and emitting body when an electric current passes through the light receiving and emitting body. A light receiving and emitting probe apparatus includes the above-described light receiving and emitting probe, a scanning mechanism that allows the light receiving and emitting probe to scan over a sample, and a control circuit that causes the light receiving and emitting body of the light receiving and emitting probe to receive and emit a light.

Abstract: A heat emitting probe including a conductive nanotube probe needle with its base end fastened to a holder and its tip end protruded, a heat emitting body formed on the probe needle, a conductive nanotube lead wire fastened to the heat emitting body, and an electric current supply that causes an electric current to pass through the conductive nanotube lead wire and both ends of the probe needle. The tip end of the probe needle is thus heated by an electric current flowing through the heat emitting body. A heat emitting probe apparatus includes the above-described heat emitting probe, a scanning mechanism that allows the heat emitting probe to scan over a thermal recording medium, and a control circuit that causes the tip end of the probe needle to emit heat, thus recording extremely small hole patterns in the surface of a thermal recording medium.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a nanotube cartridge including the steps of: adhering numerous nanotubes to a surface of a holder, disposing a knife edge at an inclination to the surface of the holder so that the knife edge is raised with its tip end being in contact with the surface of the holder, and collecting the nanotubes to near the tip end of the knife edge by moving the knife edge in a direction opposite from the tip end with the tip end being kept in contact with the surface, thus allowing the nanotubes to be arranged on the tip end of the knife edge with the nanotubes protruding from the tip end. When adhering the nanotubes to the holder surface, nanotubes are merely put in a vessel, the holder is placed in the vessel, and then the vessel is vibrated.