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Abstract:
In lithography the tip of as canning force microscope (SFM) is used to scrape out a well-defined part of a surface. In contrast, we show that organic material can also be deposited on surfaces by a SFM tip. This was demonstrated by depositing aggregates of octadecanethiol onto mica. Deposition can occur immediately after contact between tip and surface or start from small, randomly placed spots that grow during scanning. The deposits are stable and of irregular lateral shape but exhibit a homogeneous height of about 1.2±0.3nm. Some factors that influence the formation, structure, and stability of the deposits are discussed.