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Scanning probe lithography describe a set of lithographic methods in which a microscopic or nanoscopic stylus is moved mechanically across a surface to form a pattern.

This type of method can be split in two different groups :

Constructive - In which the patterning is done by directly transferring chemical species to the surface (Dip Pen Nanolithography)

Destructive - In which the patterning is done by providing the substrate with energy (Either mechanical, or thermal, photonic, ionic, electronic, Xrays, and so on and so forth) to physically, chemically, electronically deform the substrate's surface (nanoimprint lithography).

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v • d • e Scanning probe microscopy Common Atomic force · Scanning tunneling Other Electrostatic force · Electrochemical scanning tunneling · Kelvin probe force · Magnetic force · Magnetic resonance force · Near-field scanning optical · Photothermal microspectroscopy · Scanning capacitance · Scanning gate · Scanning Hall probe · Scanning ion-conductance · Spin polarized scanning tunneling · Scanning voltage Applications Scanning probe lithography · Dip-Pen Nanolithography · Feature-oriented scanning · IBM Millipede See also Nanotechnology · Microscope · Microscopy

v • d • e Nanolithography Techniques Soft · Nanoimprint · Scanning probe · Electron beam · Extreme ultraviolet · X-ray See also Nanotechnology · Photolithography · Nanoelectronics