Characteristics of atomic force microscopy lithography using a current-controlled exposure feedback system are investigated by fabricating line-and-space patterns on the negative-type electron beam resist RD2100N. We find that the cross-sectional shape of the developed resist pattern depends on the amount of exposure, The resolution depends on the resist thickness,and a minimum line width of 27 nm is obtained for a 15-nm-thick resist, The proximity effect is evaluated by comparing a resist pattern with a model calculation, Electric-field mapping inside the resist is calculated, and an exposure mechanism is proposed to explain the characteristics. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.