Dynamic meniscus growth at a scanning probe tip in contact with a gold substrate.

Environmental scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate the dynamic meniscus growth at a cantilever in contact with a substrate. The meniscus was observed to take many minutes to reach an equilibrium state. The observed growth rate is similar to initial patterning rates observed from dip-pen nanolithography and suggest that the meniscus growth may be the rate-limiting step in initial pattering rates.