Patent ID: 7947952

Claim:
In a nanomachining system having an SPM scanning probe and a translation apparatus coupled to provide translational motion of the SPM scanning probe, a method for moving material in a region of a workpiece, the method comprising: performing one or more cut operations on a region of a workpiece, the one or more cut operations producing a deposit of debris in the region of the workpiece; and removing the deposit of debris entirely from the region of the workpiece to another location including performing steps of: (a) positioning the SPM scanning probe at a sweep-start position in the region of the workpiece, the sweep-start position lying on a first reference line; (b) adjusting the SPM scanning probe along the Z-direction to a first Z-direction position; (c) moving a first portion of the deposit of debris in a direction substantially orthogonal to the first reference line by translating the SPM scanning probe in a direction substantially orthogonal to the first reference line on which the sweep-start position lies; and (d) moving additional portions of the deposit of debris by repeating steps (a)-(c) using additional sweep-start positions along the first reference line and by adjusting the Z-direction position of the SPM scanning probe.