Manipulation of freestanding Au nanogears using an atomic force microscope

We have fabricated freestanding nanogears by selectively etching single crystalline Au nanoplates and assembled them tooth to tooth using an atomic force microscope (AFM). The nanogears, with one center hole surrounded by six teeth, are smaller than 500 nm in overall size and 60-70 nm in thickness. We demonstrate that blunt AFM tips on stiff cantilevers are effective for the nondestructive manipulation of ductile and flat nano-objects having large contact areas with the substrate, and we discuss the results on the basis of nanomechanical aspects. We expect that the precise AFM manipulation combined with the etch-based fabrication techniques for the freestanding nanocomponents will be useful in the development and post-repair of sophisticated nanoelectromechanical systems.