Abstract
For characterization and construction of nanostructures, this Ph.D. project developed an in-situ scanning electron microscope (SEM) laboratory with a set of novel tools:

• Microfabricated grippers successfully used for pick-and-place nanomanipulation, and grippers with force feedback.
• Environmental electron beam deposition (EEBD) for soldering and constructing three-dimensional nanostructures
• To characterize nanostructures in a transmission electron microscope (TEM), micro-cantilever chips were designed and used to study of the Joule heating effects in carbon nanotubes.

The developed set of tools comprise a nanolaboratory which in many ways can accomplish the same tasks as an electronic workshop - but using nanoscale components that are some 10000 times smaller.

Download

• Pdf version of the thesis
  (210 A4 pages including published papers, 9 Mb).
• See the introduction to the thesis

If you have questions or comments please contact me by e-mail.

Publications
The following papers have been published based on the Ph.D. projects results:

11: Electron Irradiation Induced Destruction of Carbon Nanotubes in Electron Microscopes Accepted by ultramicroscopy K Mølhave, S B Gudnason, A Tegtmeier Pedersen, C Hyttel Clausen, A Horsewell, P Bøggild
10: Transmission electron microscopy study of individual carbon nanotube breakdown caused by joule heating in air Nano Letters 6 1663-1668 (2006) K Mølhave, S.B Gudnason, A Tegtmeier Pedersen, C Hyttel Clausen, A Horsewell, P Bøggild
9: Pick-and-place nanomanipulation using microfabricated grippers Nanotechnology 17 2434–2441 (2006) K Mølhave, T Wich, A Kortschack, P Bøggild - also reported in Physorg.com (pdf).
8: Direct measurement of resistance of multiwalled carbon nanotubes using micro four-point probes Sensor Letters 3 (4) 300-303 (2005) S Dohn, K Molhave, P Boggild
7: Electro-thermally actuated microgrippers with integrated force feedback Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering 15 1265–1270 (2005) K Mølhave and O Hansen
6: A Simple Electron Beam Lithography System Ultramicroscopy 102 215-219 (2005) K Mølhave, D N Madsen, and P Bøggild
5: Constructing, connecting and soldering nanostructures by environmental electron beam deposition Nanotechnology 15 1047–1053 (2004) K Mølhave, D N Madsen, S Dohn and P Bøggild.
4: An approach to a multi-walled carbon nanotube based mass sensor Microelectronic Engineering 73-74 670-674 (2004) R Mateiu, Z J Davis, D N Madsen, K Mølhave, P Bøggild, A Rasmussen, M Brorson, C J H Jacobsen, A Boisen.
3: Towards pick-and-place assembly of nanostructures Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 4 (3) 279-282 (2004). K Mølhave, T M Hansen, D N Madsen, P Bøggild.
2: Solid Gold Nanostructures Fabricated by Electron Beam Deposition Nano Letters 3 (11) 1499-1503 (2003). K Mølhave, D N Madsen, A M Rasmussen, A Carlsson, C C Appel, M Brorson, C J H Jacobsen, and P Bøggild
1: Soldering of nanotubes onto microelectrodes Nano Letters 3 (1): 47-49 (2003). D N Madsen, K Mølhave, R Mateiu, A M Rasmussen, M Brorson, C J H Jacobsen, and P Bøggild.

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Thesis Version History

• Submitted July 2004
• Revised version before defense August 2004
• Defended october 2004
• Available in PDF as revised version 5 with all papers June 2006
• Printed July 2006 and available on request (email me)

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Erratum

• Note the slight differences in the estimated gripping forces between the thesis chapter 3 and the 'pick and place nanomanipulation paper' due to slight differences in the assumptions.

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