IV. Processes: Top-down and Bottom-up

• The tip in an AFM operated in air is “inked” with a chemical and
brought into contact with a surface.
• The chemical “ink” molecules flow from the tip to the surface the
same way the fountain pen works.
• Inking is done by dipping the tip in a solution containing the
molecules of interest (gold, DNA, dendrimers, alkanethiols…)
• Linewidths of 12 nm with a
resolution of 5 nm have been
demonstrated.