Fabrication of Nanorollers

There exist many difficulties to fabricate a machine in nanometer-scale. One of the key technologies for nanofabrication is how to get a nanocomponent with definite sizes. In this paper, we explore a new method to fabricate nanorollers whose size can be controlled by cutting long carbon nanotube into pieces at appointed positions using the tip of atomic force microscope (AFM). Sample was prepared so that parts of carbon nanotubes are pressed by gold coating to keep them fixed while cutting. The relaxation process of a nanoroller while manipulating was observed.