Luis G Rosa and Jian Liang 2009 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 21 483001 doi:10.1088/0953-8984/21/48/483001
Luis G Rosa1,2,4 and Jian Liang3
Show affiliationsAtomic force microscopy (AFM) has been widely employed as a nanoscopic lithography technique. In this review, we summarize the current state of research in this field. We introduce the various forms of the technique, such as nanoshaving, nanografting and dip-pen nanolithography, which we classify according to the different interactions between the AFM probe and the substrate during the nanolithography fabrication process. Mechanical force, applied by the tip to the substrate, is the variable that can be controlled with good precision in AFM and it has been utilized in patterning self-assembled monolayers. In such applications, the AFM tip can break some relatively weak chemical bonds inside the monolayer. In general, the state of the art for AFM nanolithography demonstrates the power, resolution and versatility of the technique.
07.79.Lh Atomic force microscopes
Instrumentation and measurement
Issue 48 (2 December 2009)
Received 7 September 2009, in final form 12 October 2009
Published 6 November 2009
Luis G Rosa and Jian Liang 2009 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 21 483001
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