Nanomachining carbon nanotubes with ion beams

We demonstrate the use of 10 and 30 keV focused beams of Ga+ ions to thin, slice, weld, and alter the structure and composition of multiwalled carbon nanotubes at precise locations along the nanotube axis. This strategy of harnessing ion-beam-induced defect generation and doping could be attractive for modulating chemical and electrical properties along the nanotube length, and fabricate nanotube heterostructures and networks for device applications. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.