It was shown that electrostatic force microscopy could be used as a non-invasive technique for probing defects in individual carbon nanotubes supported on insulating substrates. The technique was demonstrated by monitoring the change in electrostatic force microscopy signal upon intentionally introducing defects by oxygen plasma etching, and was used to assess the quality of as-grown carbon nanotube samples and to study the effect of exposing carbon nanotubes to the low-energy electron irradiation of a scanning electron microscope.

Probing Induced Defects in Individual Carbon Nanotubes using Electrostatic Force Microscopy. T.S.Jespersen, J.Nygård: Applied Physics A, 2007, 88[2], 309-13