Patent ID: 8920700

Claim:
A nanolithography patterning method comprising steps of: providing an atomic force microscope supporting a cantilever at a cantilever support end thereof, the cantilever further supporting at a side opposite the cantilever support end an outer nanotube having radius R 2 within which an inner nanotube having radius R 1 and a length longer than that of the outer nanotube is telescopically disposed; heating a tip of the inner nanotube to a desired temperature by applying a heat source thereto; and imprinting a desired pattern onto a material surface by bringing the heated tip into close proximity with said surface and moving the cantilever parallel to the surface, the inner nanotube telescopically moving during said bringing and moving to an equilibrium position determined by a minimum potential energy due to van der Waals forces, said equilibrium position providing a constant distance between the tip and surface.