Abstract :
The transport of an amphiphilivc molecule, mercaptohexadecanoic acid (MHA) from the tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM) onto a gold substrate is examined to understand the process of dip-pen nanolithography (DPN). The findings indicate that the MHA is mobile in the absence of a water meniscus, supporting a dual transport mechanism, whereby at low RH, thermal diffusion drives the dry deposition of MHA.