Patent ID: 7524408

Claim:
A method of producing a surface nanopattern comprising the steps: a) obtaining a substrate with a smooth surface; b) acquiring a self-assembling monolayer precursor, wherein said precursor includes an inducible active region and a substrate attachment region; c) mixing a plurality of said self-assembling monolayer precursors with said substrate to produce a self-assembled monolayer having an exposed surface comprising said inducible active regions and anchored to said substrate smooth surface by said substrate attachment regions; d) obtaining a path-directable nanoparticle; e) contacting said path-directable nanoparticle with said exposed surface at an interface area; f) exposing said exposed surface contacted with said path-directable nanoparticle to an inducing event thereby altering said inducible active regions and producing a detectable state at said interface area on said exposed surface; and g) applying a force to said contacted path-directable nanoparticle to produce movement of said nanoparticle over said exposed surface thereby extending said detectable state interface area into a detectable trace over said exposed surface to produce the nanopatterened surface.