Abstract: A technique to have precise materials deposition in the micro and nanometer scale relating to 3D printing. A microfluidic pipette and an atomic force microscopy (AFM) needle are used to position the pipette a distance from a working stage to avoid surface tension physics associated with droplet formation of pipette excreted material, “ink.” The combination provides greater control over both the amounts of placement of the ink. In practice, both the AFM needle and the pipette are lowered to a work stage (or the stage is raised to the AFM needle). The pipette excretes a pool of ink onto the stage and the AFM needle is placed into the pool. A unit of ink from the pool adheres to the AFM needle. The AFM needle then moved to a work space on the stage and deposits the ink in the work area through a predetermined printing technique. The system is capable of printing photoresist, polymers, nanomaterials, DNA, proteins, stem cells, semiconductors, metal, plastic and almost anything imaginable.

Abstract: A technique to have precise materials deposition in the micro and nanometer scale relating to 3D printing. A microfluidic pipette and an atomic force microscopy (AFM) needle are used to position the pipette a distance from a working stage to avoid surface tension physics associated with droplet formation of pipette excreted material, “ink.” The combination provides greater control over both the amounts of placement of the ink. In practice, both the AFM needle and the pipette are lowered to a work stage (or the stage is raised to the AFM needle). The pipette excretes a pool of ink onto the stage and the AFM needle is placed into the pool. A unit of ink from the pool adheres to the AFM needle. The AFM needle then moved to a work space on the stage and deposits the ink in the work area through a predetermined printing technique. The system is capable of printing photoresist, polymers, nanomaterials, DNA, proteins, stem cells, semiconductors, metal, plastic and almost anything imaginable.