US Patent 7954166 - Independently addressable DPN arrays

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7954166.html

This latest patent from the founders of NanoInk teaches methods to prevent cross-contamination between arrays of Dip Pen Nanolithography (R) tips. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method comprising:

providing at least one array of tips;

providing at least two patterning compositions different from each other;

ink jet printing at least two of the different patterning compositions onto at least some of the tips; and depositing at least some of the ink jet printed patterning compositions onto a substrate surface;

wherein the array of tips and the ink jet printing are adapted to prevent substantial cross-contamination of the patterning composition on the tips.