Articles you may be interested inPolymethyl methacrylate/hydrogen silsesquioxane bilayer resist electron beam lithography process for etching 25 nm wide magnetic wires J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 32, 021601 (2014); 10.1116/1.4867753 Modular ultrahigh vacuum-compatible gas-injection system with an adjustable gas flow for focused particle beam-induced deposition Electrodes for carbon nanotube devices by focused electron beam induced deposition of gold Local coinjection of a ͑H 2 -Ar͒ microplasma jet and Cu͑O 2 C 5 F 6 H͒ 2 molecules during focused electron beam-induced deposition ͑FEBID͒ was studied with respect to changes in the Cu:C ratio of deposits. Microplasma-assisted FEBID ͑30 keV and 1 nA͒ decreased codeposition of carbon, oxygen, and fluorine originating from the chamber background and the precursor molecule. The copper metal content could be increased to 41 at. %, being almost four times more than in conventional FEBID deposits without coinjection. Conventional FEB deposits from Cu͑O 2 C 5 F 6 H͒ 2 resulted in 11-12 at. % Cu content. Microplasma post-treatments of conventional FEB deposits resulted in volume changes, surface roughening, and an increase of the overall Cu content to 27 at. %. The removal mechanisms were of nonthermal nature. At repulsive bias potentials from 0 to +30 V, a pure chemical etching of the carbonaceous matrix by atomic hydrogen radials occurred. At attractive bias potentials of up to Ϫ30 V, a more efficient ion induced chemical sputtering regime prevailed where Ar + ions break carbon bonds, which in turn will be passivated by atomic hydrogen radicals to form volatile hydrocarbon compounds.