Prototypes of indvidual carbon-nanotube-based nanoposition sensors for detercting approaching, touching, and sliding positions are presented on the bases of the interelectrodedistance-based field emission current change of a nanotube emitterand the resistance change caused by sliding motion of nanotube on an Au substrate. The sensors are constroucted by nanorobotic manipulation and featured by their compact sizes, simple structures, and potential high resolutions. A field-emission-based sensor is characterized by the non-contact configuration and is suitable for approximity sensing or as a position detector for other kinds of sensor. The perfect linearity of the resistance of a nanotube sliding on an Au substrate promises very high resolution for distance measurement. The sensitivity of these sensors has been found to be 7pA per 100nm and 0.24nA/nm respectively in experiments. The transient state from emission to transpot can be used for a touching sensor, and a 52 pA jump has been detected.
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