A simple lateral force sensing technique for near-field micropattern generation

Abstract
We present a simple and general purpose implementation for monitoring the lateral forces between a near‐field optical probe and a surface. A feedback system based on this technique has been incorporated into a near‐field optical fabrication system based on heatless material removal with an argon fluoride excimer laser. This has allowed the construction of an instrument that is capable of directly patterning a wide variety of materials with a resolution of less than 50 nm.