Patent ID: 7538332

Claim:
A polymer nanolithography method, comprising the steps of: providing an atomic force microscope; providing a conductive cantilever tip within said atomic force microscope, said cantilever tip including a selectively operable feedback loop controller; providing a thin polymer film mounted upon a conductive wafer; installing said thin polymer film within said atomic force microscope; bringing said cantilever tip into proximity with the surface of said polymer; disabling said feedback loop; applying a preselected voltage to said cantilever tip by ramping the voltage from zero to the preselected voltage over a finite time period; positioning said cantilever tip in the z direction with respect to the surface of said polymer film to create features thereon, said positioning including retracting the cantilever tip from the surface of said polymer film for creation of positive features thereon and extending the cantilever tip towards the surface of said polymer for the creation of negative features thereon, said positioning further being effected at a preselected rate; removing the voltage that was applied during said applying step above; enabling said feedback loop; and, translating said cantilever tip into a next position.