Correlating the location of structural defects with the electrical failure of multiwalled carbon nanotubes

Electrical failure of carbon nanotubes was investigated by obtaining I(V) data with a voltage ramp from a rope of multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Noncontact scanning force microscope images were obtained before and after each I(V) curve until electrical failure of the tube resulted. Following this procedure, it was possible to correlate a defect on the surface of a nanotube with the exact location of the tube failure.