  The nanoscale control afforded by scanning probe microscopes has prompted the
development of a wide variety of scanning probe-based patterning methods. Some
of these methods have demonstrated a high degree of robustness and patterning
capabilities that are unmatched by other lithographic techniques. However, the
limited throughput of scanning probe lithography has prevented their
exploitation in technological applications. Here, we review the fundamentals of
scanning probe lithography and its use in materials science and nanotechnology.
We focus on the methods and processes that offer genuinely lithography
capabilities such as those based on thermal effects, chemical reactions and
voltage-induced processes.
