A novel method of transporting ink to a substrate with dip-pen
nanolithographic (DPN) stamp tips coated with polymer (e.g.,
polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), etc.). This kind of tip adsorbs chemicals
("inks") easily and is used to generate DPN nanopatterns that are imaged
with the same tip after a DPN process. This method builds a bridge
between micro-contact printing (.mu.CP) and DPN, making it possible for
one to easily generate smaller structures of any molecules that have been
patterned by the .mu.CP technique. The easy tip-coating and writing
process enriches the state-of-the-art DPN technique. The sub-100 nm DPN
resolution obtained by using this kind of novel tip is comparable to that
with a conventional Si.sub.3N.sub.4 probe tip. Importantly, the unique
stamp tip was able to transfer solvent (e.g., liquid "ink") onto a
substrate, resulting in fabrication of hollow nanostructures with only
one DPN holding/writing step. Inks comprising metals and sol-gel
materials are noted, as well as applications in photomask repair,
enhancement, and fabrication.