To provide nanotweezers and a nanomanipulator which allow great
miniaturization of the component and are capable of gripping various types
of nano-substances such as insulators, semiconductors and conductors and
of gripping nano-substances of various shapes. Electrostatic nanotweezers
2 are characterized in that the nanotweezers 2 are comprised of a
plurality of nanotubes whose base end portions are fastened to a holder 6
so that the nanotubes protrude from the holder 6, coating films which
insulate and cover the surfaces of the nanotubes, and lead wires 10, 10
which are connected to two of the nanotubes 8, 9; and the tip ends of the
two nanotubes are freely opened and closed by means of an electrostatic
attractive force generated by applying a voltage across these lead wires.
Furthermore, by way of forming a piezo-electric film 32 on the surface of
the nanotube 9, and the tip ends of the nanotubes are freely opened and
closed by expanding and contracting the piezo-electric film, thus allowing
any desired nano-substances to be handled regardless of whether the
nano-substances are insulators, semiconductors or conductors. Furthermore,
if by way of designing three nanotubes so as to be freely opened and
closed by an electrostatic system, nano-substances of various shapes such
as spherical, rod-form, etc. can be handled. Moreover, a nanomanipulator
that is constructed by combining the nanotweezers with a three-dimensional
driving mechanism facilitates the gripping, moving and releasing of
nano-substances.