We report on a new low invasive technique for gene transfer of living cells using an ultra thin needle, termed a nano‐needle, comprising part of an etched atomic force microscope (AFM) tip. A silicon AFM tip was sharpened using focused ion beam etching to create an etched Si tip with a small diameter (100 to 200 nm). This small diameter ensured no damage was caused to the cell during needle insertion. In this study, we have demonstrated the cell penetration process using a nano‐needle and a DNA immobilized nano‐needle. This new technique could be applied for control of gene expression in a single cell.