US Patent 7273636 - Metal oxide deposition using DPN

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7273636.html

Metal oxides are an important material for semiconductor manufacture to form a variety of structures such as contact electrodes for semiconductor devices such as FETs. This patent from NanoInk uses the technology of Dip Pen Nanolithography to pattern precursor material for metal oxides. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of nanolithography comprising: providing a substrate, providing a nanoscopic tip having an inking composition thereon, wherein the inking composition comprises at least one metal oxide precursor; transferring the inking composition from the nanoscopic tip to the substrate to form a deposit on the substrate comprising at least one metal oxide precursor.

US Patent 7250139 - Nanotip dispensing device

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7250139.html

Based on work from a Northwestern University professor named Chad Mirkin a company called Nanoink was founded which uses an atomic force microscope in a fashion analogous to a pen to write molecular patterns of nanometer width. This patent is also from Northwestern and takes the pen analogy to another level by including thin film capillary structures to direct the molecular "ink". Claim 1 reads:

1. A material dispensing device, comprising an elongated cantilever comprising a plurality of thin films arranged relative to one another to define a microchannel in the cantilever, said cantilever having a material dispensing tip proximate an end of the cantilever and communicating with the microchannel to receive material therefrom, said material dispensing tip comprising a pointed tip body and an annular shell comprising one of the thin films spaced about the tip body to define a material dispensing annular space about the tip body.

US Patent 7223438 - DPN patterning of magnetic nanoparticles

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7223438.html

Nanoink is a company that is exploiting a new lithography process called Dip Pen Nanolithography (DPN) invented at Northwestern University and which uses a water meniscus to transfer material from an atomic force microscope tip to a substrate. This patent appears fundamental to the use of DPN in patterning magnetic nanostructures which is useful to a variety of sensor and high density memory applications. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of forming a magnetic nanostructure comprising: depositing a magnetic nanostructure precursor on a substrate from a nanoscopic tip; and converting the precursor to form the magnetic nanostructure on the substrate.