3D Nanoprinting via laser-assisted electron beam induced deposition: growth kinetics, enhanced purity, and electrical resistivity

Laser-Based Selective Material Processing for Next-Generation Additive Manufacturing

The connection between laser-based material processing and additive manufacturing is quite deeply rooted. In fact, the spark that started the field of additive manufacturing is the idea that two intersecting laser beams can selectively solidify a vat of resin. Ever since, laser has been accompanying the field of additive manufacturing, with its repertoire expanded from processing only photopolymer resin to virtually any material, allowing liberating customizability. As a result, additive manufacturing is expected to take an even more prominent role in the global supply chain in years to come. Herein, an overview of laser-based selective material processing is presented from various aspects: the physics of laser-material interactions, the materials currently used in additive manufacturing processes, the system configurations that enable laser-based additive manufacturing, and various functional applications of next-generation additive manufacturing. Additionally, current challenges and prospects of laser-based additive manufacturing are discussed.

Low-resistivity Pd nanopatterns created by a direct electron beam irradiation process free of post-treatment steps

The ability to create metallic patterned nanostructures with excellent control of size, shape and spatial orientation is of utmost importance in the construction of next-generation electronic and optical devices as well as in other applications such as (bio)sensors, reactive surfaces for catalysis, etc. Moreover, development of simple, rapid and low-cost fabrication processes of metallic patterned nanostructures is a challenging issue for the incorporation of such devices in real market applications. In this contribution, a direct-write method that results in highly conducting palladium-based nanopatterned structures without the need of applying subsequent curing processes is presented. Spin-coated films of palladium acetate were irradiated with an electron beam to produce palladium nanodeposits (PdNDs) with controlled size, shape and height. The use of different electron doses was investigated and its influence on the PdNDs features determined, namely: (1) thickness of the deposits, (2) atomic percentage of palladium content, (3) oxidation state of palladium in the deposit, (4) morphology of the sample and grain size of the Pd nanocrystals and (5) resistivity. It has been probed that the use of high electron doses, 30000μC cm^-2results in the lowest resistivity reported to date for PdNDs, namely 145μΩ cm, which is only one order of magnitude higher than bulk palladium. This result paves the way for development of simplified lithography processes of nanostructured deposits avoiding subsequent post-treatment steps.

FEBID 3D-Nanoprinting at Low Substrate Temperatures: Pushing the Speed While Keeping the Quality

High-fidelity 3D printing of nanoscale objects is an increasing relevant but challenging task. Among the few fabrication techniques, focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) has demonstrated its high potential due to its direct-write character, nanoscale capabilities in 3D space and a very high design flexibility. A limitation, however, is the low fabrication speed, which often restricts 3D-FEBID for the fabrication of single objects. In this study, we approach that challenge by reducing the substrate temperatures with a homemade Peltier stage and investigate the effects on Pt based 3D deposits in a temperature range of 5–30 °C. The findings reveal a volume growth rate boost up to a factor of 5.6, while the shape fidelity in 3D space is maintained. From a materials point of view, the internal nanogranular composition is practically unaffected down to 10 °C, followed by a slight grain size increase for even lower temperatures. The study is complemented by a comprehensive discussion about the growth mechanism for a more general picture. The combined findings demonstrate that FEBID on low substrate temperatures is not only much faster, but practically free of drawbacks during high fidelity 3D nanofabrication.

Direct Write of 3D Nanoscale Mesh Objects with Platinum Precursor via Focused Helium Ion Beam Induced Deposition

The next generation optical, electronic, biological, and sensing devices as well as platforms will inevitably extend their architecture into the 3rd dimension to enhance functionality. In focused ion beam induced deposition (FIBID), a helium gas field ion source can be used with an organometallic precursor gas to fabricate nanoscale structures in 3D with high-precision and smaller critical dimensions than focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID), traditional liquid metal source FIBID, or other additive manufacturing technology. In this work, we report the effect of beam current, dwell time, and pixel pitch on the resultant segment and angle growth for nanoscale 3D mesh objects. We note subtle beam heating effects, which impact the segment angle and the feature size. Additionally, we investigate the competition of material deposition and sputtering during the 3D FIBID process, with helium ion microscopy experiments and Monte Carlo simulations. Our results show complex 3D mesh structures measuring ~300 nm in the largest dimension, with individual features as small as 16 nm at full width half maximum (FWHM). These assemblies can be completed in minutes, with the underlying fabrication technology compatible with existing lithographic techniques, suggesting a higher-throughput pathway to integrating FIBID with established nanofabrication techniques.

Layer-by-Layer Growth of Complex-Shaped Three-Dimensional Nanostructures with Focused Electron Beams

The fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) nanostructures is of great interest to many areas of nanotechnology currently challenged by fundamental limitations of conventional lithography. One of the most promising direct-write methods for 3D nanofabrication is focused electron beam-induced deposition (FEBID), owing to its high spatial resolution and versatility. Here we extend FEBID to the growth of complex-shaped 3D nanostructures by combining the layer-by-layer approach of conventional macroscopic 3D printers and the proximity effect correction of electron beam lithography. This framework is based on the continuum FEBID model and is capable of adjusting for a wide range of effects present during deposition, including beam-induced heating, defocusing, and gas flux anisotropies. We demonstrate the capabilities of our platform by fabricating free-standing nanowires, surfaces with varying curvatures and topologies, and general 3D objects, directly from standard stereolithography (STL) files and using different precursors. Real 3D nanoprinting as demonstrated here opens up exciting avenues for the study and exploitation of 3D nanoscale phenomena.

Focused Electron Beam-Based 3D Nanoprinting for Scanning Probe Microscopy: A Review

Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) has become an essential surface characterization technique in research and development. By concept, SPM performance crucially depends on the quality of the nano-probe element, in particular, the apex radius. Now, with the development of advanced SPM modes beyond morphology mapping, new challenges have emerged regarding the design, morphology, function, and reliability of nano-probes. To tackle these challenges, versatile fabrication methods for precise nano-fabrication are needed. Aside from well-established technologies for SPM nano-probe fabrication, focused electron beam-induced deposition (FEBID) has become increasingly relevant in recent years, with the demonstration of controlled 3D nanoscale deposition and tailored deposit chemistry. Moreover, FEBID is compatible with practically any given surface morphology. In this review article, we introduce the technology, with a focus on the most relevant demands (shapes, feature size, materials and functionalities, substrate demands, and scalability), discuss the opportunities and challenges, and rationalize how those can be useful for advanced SPM applications. As will be shown, FEBID is an ideal tool for fabrication / modification and rapid prototyping of SPM-tipswith the potential to scale up industrially relevant manufacturing.

Pulsed Laser-Assisted Helium Ion Nanomachining of Monolayer Graphene-Direct-Write Kirigami Patterns

A helium gas field ion source has been demonstrated to be capable of realizing higher milling resolution relative to liquid gallium ion sources. One drawback, however, is that the helium ion mass is prohibitively low for reasonable sputtering rates of bulk materials, requiring a dosage that may lead to significant subsurface damage. Manipulation of suspended graphene is, therefore, a logical application for He⁺ milling. We demonstrate that competitive ion beam-induced deposition from residual carbonaceous contamination can be thermally mitigated via a pulsed laser-assisted He⁺ milling. By optimizing pulsed laser power density, frequency, and pulse width, we reduce the carbonaceous byproducts and mill graphene gaps down to sub 10 nm in highly complex kiragami patterns.

Exploring Photothermal Pathways via in Situ Laser Heating in the Transmission Electron Microscope: Recrystallization, Grain Growth, Phase Separation, and Dewetting in Ag0.5Ni0.5 Thin Films

A new optical delivery system has been developed for the (scanning) transmission electron microscope. Here we describe the in situ and "rapid ex situ" photothermal heating modality of the system, which delivers >200 mW of optical power from a fiber-coupled laser diode to a 3.7 μm radius spot on the sample. Selected thermal pathways can be accessed via judicious choices of the laser power, pulse width, number of pulses, and radial position. The long optical working distance mitigates any charging artifacts and tremendous thermal stability is observed in both pulsed and continuous wave conditions, notably, no drift correction is applied in any experiment. To demonstrate the optical delivery system's capability, we explore the recrystallization, grain growth, phase separation, and solid state dewetting of a Ag0.5Ni0.5 film. Finally, we demonstrate that the structural and chemical aspects of the resulting dewetted films was assessed.

Direct writing of gold nanostructures with an electron beam: On the way to pure nanostructures by combining optimized deposition with oxygen-plasma treatment

This work presents a highly effective approach for the chemical purification of directly written 2D and 3D gold nanostructures suitable for plasmonics, biomolecule immobilisation, and nanoelectronics. Gold nano- and microstructures can be fabricated by one-step direct-write lithography process using focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID). Typically, as-deposited gold nanostructures suffer from a low Au content and unacceptably high carbon contamination. We show that the undesirable carbon contamination can be diminished using a two-step process - a combination of optimized deposition followed by appropriate postdeposition cleaning. Starting from the common metal-organic precursor Me₂-Au-tfac, it is demonstrated that the Au content in pristine FEBID nanostructures can be increased from 30 atom % to as much as 72 atom %, depending on the sustained electron beam dose. As a second step, oxygen-plasma treatment is established to further enhance the Au content in the structures, while preserving their morphology to a high degree. This two-step process represents a simple, feasible and high-throughput method for direct writing of purer gold nanostructures that can enable their future use for demanding applications.

Comparing postdeposition reactions of electrons and radicals with Pt nanostructures created by focused electron beam induced deposition

The ability of electrons and atomic hydrogen (AH) to remove residual chlorine from PtCl₂ deposits created from cis-Pt(CO)₂Cl₂ by focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) is evaluated. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) measurements as well as thermodynamics calculations support the idea that electrons can remove chlorine from PtCl₂ structures via an electron-stimulated desorption (ESD) process. It was found that the effectiveness of electrons to purify deposits greater than a few nanometers in height is compromised by the limited escape depth of the chloride ions generated in the purification step. In contrast, chlorine atoms can be efficiently and completely removed from PtCl₂ deposits using AH, regardless of the thickness of the deposit. Although AH was found to be extremely effective at chemically purifying PtCl₂ deposits, its viability as a FEBID purification strategy is compromised by the mobility of transient Pt-H species formed during the purification process. Scanning electron microscopy data show that this results in the formation of porous structures and can even cause the deposit to lose structural integrity. However, this phenomenon suggests that the use of AH may be a useful strategy to create high surface area Pt catalysts and may reverse the effects of sintering. In marked contrast to the effect observed with AH, densification of the structure was observed during the postdeposition purification of PtC _x deposits created from MeCpPtMe₃ using atomic oxygen (AO), although the limited penetration depth of AO restricts its effectiveness as a purification strategy to relatively small nanostructures.

Growth and nanomechanical characterization of nanoscale 3D architectures grown via focused electron beam induced deposition

Nanomechanical measurements of platinum-carbon 3D nanoscale architectures grown via focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) were performed using a nanoindentation system in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) for simultaneous in situ imaging. Compression tests were used to estimate the modulus of the platinum-carbon deposits to be in the range of 8.6-10.5 GPa. Cantilever arm bend tests resulted in a modulus estimation of 15.6 GPa. Atomic layer deposition was used to conformally coat FEBID structures with a thin film of Al₂O₃, which strengthened the structures and increased the measured modulus. Cycled load-displacement testing at various load rates of nano-truss structures was also performed, demonstrating a viscoelastic response in the FEBID material. Finally, load-displacement tests of a variety of 3-dimensional nanoarchitectures with and without Al₂O₃ coatings were measured.

Comparison of Pd electron beam induced deposition using two precursors and an oxygen purification strategy

Focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) allows the creation of nanoscale structures through dissociation of an organo-metallic precursor by electrons at the beam impact point. The deposition of Pd can be interesting for its catalytic behavior and ability to contact carbon based materials. Two precursors were investigated-Pd(hfac)₂ and (Cp)Pd(allyl)-and two deposition methods: with and without an in situ oxygen purification process. The deposition parameters can be tuned for the Pd(hfac)₂ precursor to provide a deposition with 23 ± 2 at.% of Pd and a main component of C at 51 ± 3 at.% and minor components of O and F. An in situ purification process using O₂ was much faster than expected and improved the Pd content to up to >65 at.% while reducing the C to ∼20 at.%, and avoiding the oxidation of Pd. The resistivity was ∼100 μOhm · cm and compares favorably with a bulk value of 10 μOhm · cm. The (Cp)Pd(allyl) precursor is interesting because it does not release fluorine during the deposition and hence it does not etch a possible substrate. Its FEBID deposition had a composition of 26 ± 5 at.% of Pd with 74 ± 5 at.% of C. The O₂ purification process can improve the Pd content up to ∼60 at.% while reducing C to <20 at.%, but also increasing the O content to 18 at%, which was released afterwards. The best resistivity was measured at ∼1000 μOhm · cm, although better values can be anticipated for longer post treatment times.