Carbon Nanotube-based Nanoprobe Electrode

Abstract

This paper reports a 10-nm in diameter nanoprobe electrode made of carbon nanotube (CNT) for possible electrophysiological measurements for biomedical applications. The nanoprobe is based on an individual carbon nanotube fabricated by a controlled local growth process and subsequently encapsulated with an insulating layer of Parylene-C. It is integrated with a silicon microstructure with a total length of 5mum and its tip at the distal end is locally heated to expose about 100nm-long CNT as the sensing port. We believe this nano scale CNT probe, with its high strength and Young's modulus, may act as a low-invasive intracellular electrode for measurements inside cells or neurons.