The role of electron-stimulated desorption in focused electron beam induced deposition

We present the results of our study about the deposition rate of focused electron beam induced processing (FEBIP) as a function of the substrate temperature with the substrate being an electron-transparent amorphous carbon membrane. When W(CO)6 is used as a precursor it is observed that the growth rate is lower at higher substrate temperatures. From Arrhenius plots we calculated the activation energy for desorption, E des, of W(CO)6. We found an average value for E des of 20.3 kJ or 0.21 eV, which is 2.5-3.0 times lower than literature values. This difference between estimates for E des from FEBIP experiments compared to literature values is consistent with earlier findings by other authors. The discrepancy is attributed to electron-stimulated desorption, which is known to occur during electron irradiation. The data suggest that, of the W(CO)6 molecules that are affected by the electron irradiation, the majority desorbs from the surface rather than dissociates to contribute to the deposit. It is important to take this into account during FEBIP experiments, for instance when determining fundamental process parameters such as the activation energy for desorption.

Creating pure nanostructures from electron-beam-induced deposition using purification techniques: a technology perspective

The creation of functional nanostructures by electron-beam-induced deposition (EBID) is becoming more widespread. The benefits of the technology include fast 'point-and-shoot' creation of three-dimensional nanostructures at predefined locations directly within a scanning electron microscope. One significant drawback to date has been the low purity level of the deposition. This has two independent causes: (1) partial or incomplete decomposition of the precursor molecule and (2) contamination from the residual chamber gas. This frequently limits the functionality of the structure, hence it is desirable to improve the decomposition and prevent the inclusion of contaminants. In this contribution we review and compare for the first time all the techniques specifically aimed at purifying the as-deposited impure EBID structures. Despite incomplete and scattered data, we observe some general trends: application of heat (during or after deposition) is usually beneficial to some extent; working in a favorable residual gas (ultra-high vacuum set-ups or plasma cleaning the chamber) is highly recommended; gas mixing approaches are extremely variable and not always reproducible between research groups; and carbon-free precursors are promising but tend to result in oxygen being the contaminant species rather than carbon. Finally we highlight a few novel approaches.

Nanoscale oxide patterning with electron-solid-gas reactions

A novel nanoscale oxide patterning technique based on electron beam induced transformation in a gas environment is demonstrated. Localized phase transformation is induced in the surface region of a substrate, resulting in the formation of an oxide pattern that is embedded in the surface. The composition of the transformed region is determined only by the substrate and gas composition. The spatial resolution of the technique is about 15 nm.