Improved methods, systems and devices for mechanosynthesis, including those that involve the bulk chemical preparation of tips, multiple tips on a presentation surface, and multiple tips used sequentially in a thermodynamic cascade. These improvements can simplify starting requirements, improve versatility, and reduce equipment and process complexity.

The present disclosure addresses methods to refine the geometry of micro features manufactured in various substrates. Such refinement includes improvement in edge roughness and roughness of aperture channel walls. The methods include deposition of material onto feature edges and surfaces as well as placement of micro fabricated inserts into coarse features. Foremost among the candidate technologies that can be employed for these purposes are two photon polymerization-based 3D nano printing and atomic force microscope nanopipette-based electroplating.

The disclosed embodiments provide a system that forms a three-dimensional (3D) nanostructure through 3D printing. During operation, the system performs a 3D printing operation that uses multiple passes of a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip to deliver an ink to form the 3D nanostructure, wherein the ink includes both a positively charged polyelectrolyte (PE) and a negatively charged PE. While delivering the ink, the SPM tip is loaded with the ink and moved to a target location to deposit the ink. Finally, after the multiple passes are complete, the system cures the 3D nanostructure to remove excess positive or negative charges from the 3D nanostructure.

A method is provided for forming structures upon a substrate. The method comprises: depositing fluid onto a substrate so as to define a wetted region, the fluid containing electrically polahzable nanoparticles; applying an alternating electric field to the fluid on the region, using a first electrode and a second electrode, so that a plurality of the nanoparticles are assembled to form an elongate structure extending from the first electrode towards the second electrode; and removing the fluid such that the elongate structure remains upon the substrate.

A method for making a carbon nanotube array includes providing a substrate having a first substrate surface and a second substrate surface opposite to the first substrate surface. The substrate has a plurality of through holes spaced from each other, and each of the plurality of through holes extends from the first substrate surface to the second substrate surface. A catalyst layer is deposited on the first substrate surface, to form a composite structure. The composite structure is placed in a chamber. The carbon source gas and protective gas are supplied to the chamber, and the composite structure is heated to a first temperature, to grow a carbon nanotube array on the first substrate surface.

A Raman spectroscopy apparatus using a nano printing device is provided to perform Raman spectroscopy on nanoscale nanostructures printed from the nano printing device. The Raman spectroscopy apparatus includes a laser light source configured to generate and emit a laser light to the nanostructures, and a Raman detector configured to collect spectroscopic information from the light scattered by the nanostructures.

Methods, devices, and systems for forming atomically precise structures are provided. In some embodiments, the methods, devices, and systems of the present disclosure utilize a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) system to receive a sample having a surface to be patterned. The system positions a conductive tip over a pixel region of the surface. While the conductive tip remains laterally fixed relative to the surface, the system applies a bias voltage between the conductive tip and the surface such that a current between the conductive tip and the surface removes at least one atom from the pixel region. The system stops applying the voltage and current when it senses the removal of the at least one atom. The system then verifies that the at least one atom has been removed from the pixel region.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a device comprising a platform comprising a layer of a 2-dimensional material. The device further comprises a plurality of electrodes and one or more molecules arranged on the platform. The device is configured to apply control signals to the plurality of electrodes to position the molecules by means of an electric field. Embodiments of the invention further concern a corresponding method for fabricating such a device and a method for positioning molecules by such a device.

The present invention relates to a method for removing a polymeric material from a surface of a nanostructure. The method includes applying, by a scanning probe microscope, an electrical field between a probe tip of the scanning probe microscope and the nanostructure, and simultaneously scanning over the surface of the nanostructure. Thereby, bonds connecting the polymeric material to the surface of the nanostructure are broken. A further step includes cleaning the surface of the nanostructure. A scanning probe microscope for performing such a method and a computer program product for controlling the scanning probe microscope are also disclosed.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for using a device for the positioning of molecules, the devise including a semiconductor substrate including a semiconductor layer and an insulating layer with a plurality of electrodes arranged on the insulating layer forming an electrode layer with a layer of 2-dimensional material arranged on the electrode layer. The method includes applying a first set of control signals to the plurality of electrodes to position a plurality of molecules in a first molecule arrangement and applying a second set of control signals to the plurality of electrodes to position the plurality of molecules in a second molecule arrangement, wherein the second set of control signals is different from the first set of control signals and wherein the device provides a first functionality in the first molecule arrangement and a second functionality in the second molecule arrangement.