Refinement of Conditions of Point-Contact Current Imaging Atomic Force Microscopy for Molecular-Scale Conduction Measurements

We have refined the measurement conditions of point-contact current imaging microscopy (PCI-AFM) to measure the electric properties along the long axes of one-dimensional structures. Using this refinement, the current image of the PCI-AFM can be used to distinguish individual single-walled carbon nanotubes in a bundled structure. The PCI-AFM will thus help further developments in nanoscience for conduction measurements in one-dimensional structures.