US Patent 7651926 - Electrostatic patterning of nanostructures

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7651926.html

This patent from M.I.T. teaches a form of nanolithography in which electrostatic patterns are used to attract oppositely charged nanostructures allowing more complex structures to be formed then that which rely on self-assembly. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method for forming a structure, comprising the steps of:

forming a charge pattern on a substrate, the charge pattern having a first type of charge; and
using an electrospray apparatus, introducing a plurality of nanoscale or molecular size scale building blocks to a region proximate the charge pattern, the building blocks having a second type of charge and adhering to the charge pattern to form the structure.