The world first came to know about these tiny tubes of rolled up sheets of carbon hexagons in 1991. Born at the research labs of NEC, the size of these miniature tubes, which is 10,000 times slimmer than a human hair doesn?t have any comparison to its potential uses.

By the regulated manoeuvring of carbon nanotubes, mega teeny-weeny electronic devices can be designed. This nanotubes also can be used as microscopic wires.

Recent experiments by the IBM scientists to develop a method for changing the position, shape and orientation in addition to, finding a way for cutting the tiny tubes, have been fruitful using an atomic force microscope (AFM).