Patterning of diamond with 10 nm resolution by electron-beam-induced etching

Abstract

We report on mask-less, high resolution etching of diamond surfaces, featuring sizes down to 10 nm. We use a scanning electron microscope (SEM) together with water vapor, which was injected by a needle directly onto the sample surface. Using this versatile and low-damage technique, trenches with different depths were etched. Cross sections of each trench were obtained by focused ion beam milling and used to calculate the achieved aspect ratios. The developed technique opens up the possibility of mask-and resist-less patterning of diamond for nano-optical and electronic applications.

Emerging laser-assisted vacuum processes for ultra-precision, high-yield manufacturing

“…The high-resolution nanopatterning methods, such as focused electron-beam-induced etching (FEBIE) and focused ion-beaminduced etching (FIBIE), introduce a material removal process for the on-demand surface structure. [32][33][34] A direct way to increase the etch rate in FEBIE is to maximize the source current for stimulating electron transport and reaction with precursors. However, the increased source current for a vigorous operation inevitably brings critical side effects.…”

Optimised diamond to graphite conversion via a metastable sp1-bonded carbon chain formation under an ultra-short femtosecond (30 fs) laser irradiation

“…For this purpose, a precise conversion of graphite to diamond is not feasible at the moment, since a very strong (>100 GPa) and fast (<1 ps) compression wave applied normal to the basal plane of the graphite is needed to drive this fundamental phase transition [5], a task that is hardly technologically achievable at the moment. Phase conversion of diamond into graphite remains exceptionally challenging since there are only a few processes capable of delivering a well-apportioned energy for the phase conversion and these include ion beam milling and/or etching method [6], electron-beam milling [7] and laser processing [8]. The latter is currently the only process that has a potential to provide a satisfactory high spatial resolution, low surface roughness and, a high material removal rate to process diamond.…”