Characterization and Application of Materials Grown by Electron-Beam-Induced Deposition

Abstract

Electron-beam-induced deposition of materials has been known for almost 40 years from contamination writing. It has developed into “additive lithography” with nanometer resolution employed in scanning electron microscopes, in dedicated lithography systems, in reducing image projection systems, and in scanning tunneling microscopes. The technique allows deposition of nanometer- to micrometer-size structures with nanometer precision in three dimensions without supplementary process steps such as lift-off or etching procedures. Depending on the deposition conditions, novel compound materials are created from organometallic precursors which form resistors with a resistivity ranging from 103 Ω· cm to 2×10-3 Ω· cm and sustain current densities higher than 5×105 A/cm2 without damage. High-resolution transmission electron microscope analysis of the deposits reveals a new class of nanocrystalline compound materials. Crystals of metals or metalcarbides and oxides are immersed in a matrix of carbonaceous material. The deposition process is compatible with conventional VLSI technology. Tips for atomic force and scanning tunneling microscopy can be produced with radii of curvature as small as 5 nm. Field electron emission is obtained from deposited tips starting at an extraction voltage of 8 V and yielding 180 µ A of current at 20 V. Three-dimensional conducting structures can be produced as sensors.

Fabrication of Free-Standing Tungsten-Nanowhiskers on SiO<SUB>2</SUB> Substrates with Electron-Beam Induced Deposition

“…Due to the controllability of the beam, zero, one, two, or three dimensional small-sized objects have been fabricated. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] Conductive substrates are generally used in these fabrications, because they provide stable fabrication conditions. Recently, by using insulator substrates, Al 2 O 3 , nanometer-sized (nano-sized) tungstenstructures (W-structures), namely, wire-like, dendrite-like and tree-like W-structures, have been fabricated with EBID using a precursor W(CO) 6 in a 200 kV transmission electron microscope.…”

In situObservation of Carbon-Nanopillar Tubulization Caused by Liquidlike Iron Particles

“…First, we deposited an iron-doped amorphous carbon foundation, which was about 1 m thick, on a molybdenum grid for the transmission electron microscope (TEM) through focused-ion-beam-induced chemical vapor deposition [7] using a ferrocene (FeC 10 H 10 ) gas source [8] injected through a nozzle. Next, we grew amorphous carbon pillars, which were 10 -100 nm in diameter and 100 -500 nm long, on the iron-doped carbon foundation through electron-beam-induced chemical vapor deposition [9] in a phenanthrene (C 14 H 10 ) gas ambient [10]. Figure 1(c) shows a scanning electron micrograph of a prepared sample.…”

Recent advances in nanorobotic manipulation inside scanning electron microscopes

“…Electron-beam-induced deposition (EBID) is extensively applied inside SEMs as an important technique to deposit materials for welding and assembly at the nanoscale 42,[133][134][135] . EBID involves the introduction of precursor gases into an SEM chamber from a nozzle after vaporization or sublimation.…”