Characterizing the physical properties of individual nanostructures
is challenging because of the difficulty in manipulating the objects of
sizes from nanometers to micrometers. Most nanomeasurements have been
carried using scanning probe microscopy. In this article, we
demonstrate that transmission electron microscopy can be a powerful
tool for quantitative measurements of the mechanical and electrical
properties of a single nanostructure. Dual-mode resonance of an oxide
nanobelt has been observed, and its bending modulus has been measured.
An in situ technique was demonstrated for measuring the work
function at the tip of a carbon nanotube. The ballistic quantum
conductance of a multiwalled carbon nanotube was observed at room
temperature using the setup in TEM. It is concluded that in
situ measurement by directly linking structure with property is a
future direction of electron microscopy.