Abstract: A method for patterning a surface of a substrate includes applying a liquid on the surface of the substrate, wherein an apparent viscosity of the liquid depends on a field strength applied to the liquid; applying a field to the liquid, wherein a field strength of the applied field is spatially varied in the liquid in a direction parallel to the surface of the substrate, thereby generating a spatially varied apparent viscosity distribution in the liquid in response to the applied field; and patterning the surface of the substrate by subjecting the surface to a surface modifying process, while maintaining the field and using portions of the liquid having apparent viscosities higher than a predetermined value as a mask; wherein the surface modifying process comprises removing material of the surface of the substrate and/or depositing material on the surface of the substrate.