Response under low-energy electron irradiation of a thin film of a potential copper precursor for focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID)

• Leo Sala,
• Iwona B. Szymańska,
• Céline Dablemont,
• Anne Lafosse and
• Lionel Amiaud

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 57–65, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.8

• 10.3762/bjnano.9.8 Abstract Background: Focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) allows for the deposition of free standing material within nanometre sizes. The improvement of the technique needs a combination of new precursors and optimized irradiation strategies to achieve a controlled

• for ligands fragmentation allow one to envisage the use of the two precursors for FEBID studies. Keywords: amines; copper(II); electron-stimulated desorption; FEBID precursors; HREELS; low-energy electrons; perfluorinated carboxylates; Introduction The high electrical conductivity of copper makes it

• obtained with non-standard processes, for example with FEBID in aqueous solution [3] or with ion beam assisted deposition with plasma treatments [4]. For purity improvement of copper deposits, an alternative is the use of precursors with multiple copper ions. This class of metallic complex precursors has

The rational design of a Au(I) precursor for focused electron beam induced deposition

• Ali Marashdeh,
• Thiadrik Tiesma,
• Niels J. C. van Velzen,
• Sjoerd Harder,
• Remco W. A. Havenith,
• Jeff T. M. De Hosson and
• Willem F. van Dorp

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2753–2765, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.274

• , we propose a Au(I) compound for high-purity gold deposition. Results and Discussion Crystal structures of Au complexes The stability of FEBID precursor molecules in Figure 2 strongly depends on the stability of the metal–ligand bond. Apart from that, intermolecular Au–Au interactions (aurophilicity

• ) may have a large influence on chemical stability and volatility. The crystal structure of the new precursor in FEBID, MeAuPMe3, is discussed in context with a larger group of gold complexes that either contain Au–CO or Au–PX3 bonds. In addition, the aurophilicity in a set of Au complexes is compared

Synthesis of [{AgO₂CCH₂OMe(PPh₃)}_n] and theoretical study of its use in focused electron beam induced deposition

• Jelena Tamuliene,
• Julian Noll,
• Peter Frenzel,
• Tobias Rüffer,
• Alexander Jakob,
• Bernhard Walfort and
• Heinrich Lang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2615–2624, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.262

• suitable as a FEBID precursor for silver deposition, its vapor pressure was determined (p170 °C = 5.318 mbar, ∆Hvap = 126.1 kJ mol−1), evincing little volatility. Also EI and ESI mass spectrometric studies were carried out. The dissociation of the silver(I) compound 2 under typical electron-driven FEBID

• O2CCH2OMe− is generated, further following the first fragmentation route. However, at 1.3 eV the initial step is decarboxylation giving [AgCH2OMe(PPh3)], followed by Ag–P and Ag–C bond cleavages. Keywords: DFT; DSC; FEBID; silver(I) carboxylate; solid-state structure; TGA; Introduction Focused electron

• beam induced deposition (FEBID) is a cost efficient direct resist-free chemical vapor deposition technique producing free-standing 3D metal-containing nanoscale structures in a single step on, for example, surfaces of sub-10 nm size using a variety of materials with a high degree of spatial and time

Interactions of low-energy electrons with the FEBID precursor chromium hexacarbonyl (Cr(CO)₆)

• Jusuf M. Khreis,
• João Ameixa,
• Filipe Ferreira da Silva and
• Stephan Denifl

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2583–2590, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.258

• Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal 10.3762/bjnano.8.258 Abstract Interactions of low-energy electrons with the FEBID precursor Cr(CO)6 have been investigated in a crossed electron–molecular beam setup coupled with a double focusing mass

• ; dissociative electron attachment; electron ionization; FEBID; metastable decay; Introduction Organometallic compounds have been extensively studied since they are used for a broad field of applications. Among the variety of applications, nanotechnologies have caught special attention since organometallic

• deposition (FEBID) can be considered an assisted chemical vapour deposition (CVD) technique. However, in the former case the organometallic precursor is not fragmented by thermal energy but instead by a high-energy electron beam. The precursor molecules are delivered to the substrate in the gas phase and

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

• Domagoj Belić,
• Mostafa M. Shawrav,
• Emmerich Bertagnolli and
• Heinz D. Wanzenboeck

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2530–2543, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.253

• 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

• direct writing of purer gold nanostructures that can enable their future use for demanding applications. Keywords: FEBID; gold nanostructures; oxygen plasma; postdeposition purification; Introduction Focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) is an additive direct-write method for making complex

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

• Julie A. Spencer,
• Michael Barclay,
• Miranda J. Gallagher,
• Robert Winkler,
• Ilyas Unlu,
• Yung-Chien Wu,
• Harald Plank,
• Lisa McElwee-White and
• D. Howard Fairbrother

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2410–2424, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.240

• 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

• 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

• of AO restricts its effectiveness as a purification strategy to relatively small nanostructures. Keywords: atomic hydrogen; atomic oxygen; electron beam processing; focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID); purification; Introduction Focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) has

Electron beam induced deposition of silacyclohexane and dichlorosilacyclohexane: the role of dissociative ionization and dissociative electron attachment in the deposition process

• Ragesh Kumar T P,
• Sangeetha Hari,
• Krishna K Damodaran,
• Oddur Ingólfsson and
• Cornelis W. Hagen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2376–2388, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.237

• /bjnano.8.237 Abstract We present first experiments on electron beam induced deposition of silacyclohexane (SCH) and dichlorosilacyclohexane (DCSCH) under a focused high-energy electron beam (FEBID). We compare the deposition dynamics observed when growing pillars of high aspect ratio from these compounds

• attachment; dissociative ionization; electron beam induced deposition; low-energy electrons; silacyclohexane; Introduction Focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) [1][2] is a 3-D direct writing method suitable for the fabrication of nanostructures, even on non-planar surfaces. This approach is in

• constellation, and the product formation through these channels is very different. In recent years significant, concerted effort has been taken to de-convolute the effect of these different processes to better understand the physics and chemistry behind the FEBID process and to purposely turn that knowledge

Dissociative electron attachment to coordination complexes of chromium: chromium(0) hexacarbonyl and benzene-chromium(0) tricarbonyl

• Janina Kopyra,
• Paulina Maciejewska and
• Jelena Maljković

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2257–2263, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.225

• [1][2][3]. However, they also play an important role in nanotechnology. In fact, a number of organometallic complexes, originally designed for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) purposes, have also been recognized as promising precursors for focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID), a process to

• fabricate three-dimensional metal-containing nanoscale structures [4][5]. FEBID is a direct-write technique in which a highly focused, high-energy electron beam impinges on precursor molecules physisorbed onto a substrate, thereby causing their dissociation, and in the ideal case, leading to pure deposit

• molecules [9][10][11]. Therefore, SEs may play a role in determining the composition of the FEBID deposits. Moreover, they may also be responsible for the broadening of the deposits beyond the width of the PE beam since secondary electrons create an electron flux beyond the focal area diameter of the

Comprehensive investigation of the electronic excitation of W(CO)₆ by photoabsorption and theoretical analysis in the energy region from 3.9 to 10.8 eV

• Mónica Mendes,
• Khrystyna Regeta,
• Filipe Ferreira da Silva,
• Nykola C. Jones,
• Søren Vrønning Hoffmann,
• Gustavo García,
• Chantal Daniel and
• Paulo Limão-Vieira

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2208–2218, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.220

• of relevance to estimate neutral dissociation cross sections of W(CO)6, a precursor molecule in focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) processes, from electron scattering measurements. Keywords: cross sections; density functional theory (DFT) calculations; focused electron beam induced

• deposition (FEBID); photoabsorption; tungsten hexacarbonyl; Introduction The electronic structure of tungsten hexacarbonyl, W(CO)6, has previously been studied by using a variety of different experimental and theoretical methods, with experiments including vacuum ultraviolet experiments in the wavelength

• initio molecular dynamics simulations of focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) precursor molecules adsorbed on fully and partially hydroxylated SiO2 surfaces [24]. Electron-induced reactions in FEBID processes are initiated by low-energy secondary electrons rather than the high-energy primary

Suppression of low-energy dissociative electron attachment in Fe(CO)₅ upon clustering

• Jozef Lengyel,
• Peter Papp,
• Štefan Matejčík,
• Jaroslav Kočišek,
• Michal Fárník and
• Juraj Fedor

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2200–2207, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.219

• electron attachment in isolated Fe(CO)5. Keywords: aggregation effects; dissociative electron attachment; FEBID; iron pentacarbonyl; long-range interactions; Introduction In recent years a number of gas-phase studies on molecules that are commonly used as precursors in electron-induced nanofabrication

• undergoes neutral dissociation. This yields an electron with very low residual energy that causes DEA in another precursor molecule and the resulting anion effectively reacts with the coordinatively unsaturated products of the neutral dissociation. Such a process – possibly very relevant at realistic FEBID

• typical FEBID precursor are extremely sensitive to its elementary environment. In the gas phase, the decomposition via anion production proceeds at very low electron energies. Even the presence of several neighboring molecules opens the possibility of a new anion synthesis channel at electron energies

Modelling focused electron beam induced deposition beyond Langmuir adsorption

• Dédalo Sanz-Hernández and
• Amalio Fernández-Pacheco

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2151–2161, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.214

• Dedalo Sanz-Hernandez Amalio Fernandez-Pacheco Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Cambridge, CB3 0HE, United Kingdom 10.3762/bjnano.8.214 Abstract In this work, the continuum model for focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) is generalized to account for multilayer

• changes in FEBID characteristic frequencies. Additionally, we present a set of FEBID frequency maps where growth rate and surface coverage are plotted as a function of characteristic timescales. From the analysis of Langmuir, as well as homogeneous and heterogeneous multilayer maps, we infer that three

• types of growth regimes are possible for FEBID under no diffusion, resulting into four types of adsorption isotherms. We propose the use of these maps as a powerful tool for the analysis of FEBID processes. Keywords: adsorption isotherm theory; BET model; continuum model; focused electron beam induced

Magnetic properties of optimized cobalt nanospheres grown by focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) on cantilever tips

• Soraya Sangiao,
• César Magén,
• Darius Mofakhami,
• Grégoire de Loubens and
• José María De Teresa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2106–2115, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.210

• work, we present a detailed investigation of the magnetic properties of cobalt nanospheres grown on cantilever tips by focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID). The cantilevers are extremely soft and the cobalt nanospheres are optimized for magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM) experiments

• nanospheres with a diameter of ≈200 nm, which present atomic cobalt content of ≈83 atom % and saturation magnetization of 106 A/m, around 70% of the bulk value. These results represent the first comprehensive investigation of the magnetic properties of cobalt nanospheres grown by FEBID for application in MRFM

• magnetic nanostructures have been produced in last years by the focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) technique [1][2]. The extensive list of nanostructures includes: (a) planar deposits in the shape of Hall bars for sensing purposes [3][4][5][6]; (b) magnetic nanopillars for functionalization

Fixation mechanisms of nanoparticles on substrates by electron beam irradiation

• Daichi Morioka,
• Tomohiro Nose,
• Taiki Chikuta,
• Kazutaka Mitsuishi and
• Masayuki Shimojo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1523–1529, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.153

• produced by focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) [6], photo-lithography (PL), or micro-contact printing (μCP) [7]. However, the purity of the deposits from FEBID is generally low, and PL and μCP require complicated processes including the fabrication of masks or masters, exposure or stamping

Thickness-modulated tungsten–carbon superconducting nanostructures grown by focused ion beam induced deposition for vortex pinning up to high magnetic fields

• Ismael García Serrano,
• Javier Sesé,
• Isabel Guillamón,
• Hermann Suderow,
• Sebastián Vieira,
• Manuel Ricardo Ibarra and
• José María De Teresa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1698–1708, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.162

• ; Introduction In focused electron/ion beam induced deposition (FEBID/FIBID), a precursor molecule is dissociated by a focused electron/ion beam, producing the local growth of a deposit in a single step and with the shape determined by the electron/ion beam scan [1][2][3][4]. Materials grown by FEBID/FIBID can

Efficient electron-induced removal of oxalate ions and formation of copper nanoparticles from copper(II) oxalate precursor layers

• Kai Rückriem,
• Sarah Grotheer,
• Henning Vieker,
• Paul Penner,
• André Beyer,
• Armin Gölzhäuser and
• Petra Swiderek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 852–861, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.77

• electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) [1][2] solid materials are produced on surfaces through decomposition of volatile precursor compounds under the electron beam [1][3][4]. As an alternative to deposition from the gas phase, FEBID has recently also been performed in micrometer-thin films of molten

• ] and the control of the size of the nanostructures pose challenges [1][11][12][13][18][20]. For example, when metals are deposited from the gas phase by FEBID, the organic ligands that provide the metal organic precursors with sufficient volatility are often not fully decomposed. In consequence

Correction: Formation of pure Cu nanocrystals upon post-growth annealing of Cu–C material obtained from focused electron beam induced deposition: comparison of different methods

• Aleksandra Szkudlarek,
• Alfredo Rodrigues Vaz,
• Yucheng Zhang,
• Andrzej Rudkowski,
• Czesław Kapusta,
• Rolf Erni,
• Stanislav Moshkalev and
• Ivo Utke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1935–1936, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.196

• nanocrystals; focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID); post-growth annealing of Cu–C material; In Figure 8 of the original article, the scale of the ordinate was wrong. The correct figure looks as follows: Figure 8 in the original article: Calculated resistivity from the resistance measurement of a

• Cu–C line during in situ post-growth heating with a hot plate (red dots) and cooling down (blue dots) inside the SEM chamber. The resistance did not change when opening the chamber. The top SEM images show the morphology changes of an adjacent FEBID line which was observed simultaneously during the

The role of low-energy electrons in focused electron beam induced deposition: four case studies of representative precursors

• Rachel M. Thorman,
• Ragesh Kumar T. P.,
• D. Howard Fairbrother and
• Oddur Ingólfsson

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1904–1926, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.194

• induced deposition (FEBID) is a single-step, direct-write nanofabrication technique capable of writing three-dimensional metal-containing nanoscale structures on surfaces using electron-induced reactions of organometallic precursors. Currently FEBID is, however, limited in resolution due to deposition

• low-energy electrons are abundant both inside and outside the area of the primary electron beam and are associated with reactions causing incomplete ligand dissociation from FEBID precursors. As it is not possible to directly study the effects of secondary electrons in situ in FEBID, other means must

• be used to elucidate their role. In this context, gas phase studies can obtain well-resolved information on low-energy electron-induced reactions with FEBID precursors by studying isolated molecules interacting with single electrons of well-defined energy. In contrast, ultra-high vacuum surface

Focused particle beam-induced processing

• Michael Huth and
• Armin Gölzhäuser

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1883–1885, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.191

• nanoscale. However, in contrast with large-scale 3D printing of plastic or metallic structures, FPBID provides nanomaterials with a wealth of interesting electronic, optical and magnetic properties. Due to this, focused electron beam-induced deposition (FEBID) has experienced a rapid expansion in the

• breadth of its application fields over the last 10 years. In FEBID, a highly focused electron beam, in most cases provided by a scanning electron microscope, is raster-scanned over a substrate surface on which an adsorbed precursor layer is sustained by a precursor gas injection system. As the primary (as

• shape (i.e., also in 3D) are fully controlled by the precise movements of the electron beam. Under optimized conditions, the intrinsic resolution limit of FEBID is below 5 nm. In this Thematic Series, the FEBID process is considered from different perspectives. The current knowledge of the most relevant

Continuum models of focused electron beam induced processing

• Milos Toth,
• Charlene Lobo,
• Vinzenz Friedli,
• Aleksandra Szkudlarek and
• Ivo Utke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1518–1540, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.157

• deposition (FEBIE and FEBID), and (iii) etch processes that proceed through multiple reaction pathways and generate a number of reaction products at the substrate surface. We also review and release software for Monte Carlo modeling of the precursor gas flux which is needed as an input parameter for

• beam induced etching (FEBIE), deposition (FEBID) [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] and surface functionalization [17] techniques. They are typically used to simulate growth rates and nanostructure geometries as a function of experimental parameters, and to help elucidate the

• laws. Numerical models can account for adsorbate diffusion and enable modeling of processes such as simultaneous FEBIE and FEBID performed using a mixture of precursor gases. Here we provide software that can be used to simulate a wide range of processes reported in the FEBIP literature, and review the

Formation of pure Cu nanocrystals upon post-growth annealing of Cu–C material obtained from focused electron beam induced deposition: comparison of different methods

• Aleksandra Szkudlarek,
• Alfredo Rodrigues Vaz,
• Yucheng Zhang,
• Andrzej Rudkowski,
• Czesław Kapusta,
• Rolf Erni,
• Stanislav Moshkalev and
• Ivo Utke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1508–1517, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.156

• study in detail the post-growth annealing of a copper-containing material deposited with focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID). The organometallic precursor Cu(II)(hfac)2 was used for deposition and the results were compared to that of compared to earlier experiments with (hfac)Cu(I)(VTMS

• electron microscope favored the formation of Cu nanocrystals within the carbonaceous matrix of freestanding rods and suppressed the formation on their surface. Electrical four-point measurements on FEBID lines from Cu(hfac)2 showed five orders of magnitude improvement in conductivity when being annealed

• conventionally and by laser-induced heating in the scanning electron microscope chamber. Keywords: Cu(hfac)2; Cu nanocrystals; focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID); post-growth annealing of Cu–C material; Introduction Focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) is a direct maskless

Influence of the shape and surface oxidation in the magnetization reversal of thin iron nanowires grown by focused electron beam induced deposition

• Luis A. Rodríguez,
• Lorenz Deen,
• Rosa Córdoba,
• César Magén,
• Etienne Snoeck,
• Bert Koopmans and
• José M. De Teresa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1319–1331, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.136

• Aragón (ICMA), Universidad de Zaragoza-CSIC, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain 10.3762/bjnano.6.136 Abstract Iron nanostructures grown by focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) are promising for applications in magnetic sensing, storage and logic. Such applications require a precise design and

• determination of the coercive field (HC), which depends on the shape of the nanostructure. In the present work, we have used the Fe2(CO)9 precursor to grow iron nanowires by FEBID in the thickness range from 10 to 45 nm and width range from 50 to 500 nm. These nanowires exhibit an Fe content between 80 and 85

• indicate that these wires have a bell-type shape with a surface oxide layer of about 5 nm. Such features are decisive in the actual value of HC as micromagnetic simulations demonstrate. These results will help to make appropriate designs of magnetic nanowires grown by FEBID. Keywords: coercive field

Structural transitions in electron beam deposited Co–carbonyl suspended nanowires at high electrical current densities

• Gian Carlo Gazzadi and
• Stefano Frabboni

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1298–1305, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.134

• –carbonyl precursor (Co2(CO)8) by focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID). The SNWs dimensions are about 30–50 nm in diameter and 600–850 nm in length. The as-deposited material has a nanogranular structure of mixed face-centered cubic (FCC) and hexagonal close-packed (HCP) Co phases, and a

• graphitized C. The breakdown current density is found at 2.1 × 107 A/cm2. The role played by resistive heating and electromigration in these transitions is discussed. Keywords: cobalt; electromigration; focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID); metallic nanowires; Introduction The growing importance

• deposition (FEBID), a direct-write nanolithography based on the decomposition of gas precursors molecules with electron beams [1]. This technology, in fact, allows for the deposition of various materials on planar and non-planar substrates with nanoscale resolution [2], and it can be easily implemented on

Surface excitations in the modelling of electron transport for electron-beam-induced deposition experiments

• Francesc Salvat-Pujol,
• Roser Valentí and
• Wolfgang S. Werner

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1260–1267, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.129

• /bjnano.6.129 Abstract The aim of the present overview article is to raise awareness of an essential aspect that is usually not accounted for in the modelling of electron transport for focused-electron-beam-induced deposition (FEBID) of nanostructures: Surface excitations are on the one hand responsible

• present a general perspective of recent works on the subject of surface excitations and on low-energy electron transport, highlighting the most relevant aspects for the modelling of electron transport in FEBID simulations. Keywords: focused-electron-beam-induced deposition (FEBID); Monte Carlo simulation

• , including a number of spectroscopies (electron-energy-loss spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Auger-electron spectroscopy), electron microscopy, and the focused-electron-beam-induced deposition (FEBID) of nanostructures, on which we focus here. This technique employs beams of focussed

Tunable magnetism on the lateral mesoscale by post-processing of Co/Pt heterostructures

• Oleksandr V. Dobrovolskiy,
• Maksym Kompaniiets,
• Roland Sachser,
• Fabrizio Porrati,
• Christian Gspan,
• Harald Plank and
• Michael Huth

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1082–1090, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.109

• heterostructures on the lateral mesoscale. By means of in situ post-processing of Pt- and Co-based nano-stripes prepared by focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) we are able to locally tune their coercive field and remanent magnetization. Whereas single Co-FEBID nano-stripes show no hysteresis, we find

• film techniques or by an alternative approach, as used by us, namely the direct writing of metal-based layers by focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) [18][19]. The resolution of FEBID is better than 10 nm laterally and 1 nm vertically [18][19] and, thus, its proven applications range from

• photomask repair [20] to fabrication of nanowires [17][21], nanopores [22], magnetic [5][12] and strain sensors [23] as well as direct-write superconductors [24]. The precursors Co2(CO)8 and (CH3)3CH3PtC5H4 from which Pt- an Co-based structures can be fabricated in the FEBID process, like most metal-organic

Electron-stimulated purification of platinum nanostructures grown via focused electron beam induced deposition

• Brett B. Lewis,
• Michael G. Stanford,
• Jason D. Fowlkes,
• Kevin Lester,
• Harald Plank and
• Philip D. Rack

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 907–918, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.94

• process due to the isotropic carbon removal from the as-deposited materials which produces high-fidelity shape retention. Keywords: beam induced processing; direct-write; electron beam induced deposition; nano; Introduction Focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) is an attractive nanotechnology

• application because of its unique processing latitude and high precision resolution. FEBID uses an electron beam scanned in a specific pattern to dissociate and condense precursor material onto a substrate with high shape fidelity and a high degree of flexibility in the final form of the structure [1][2][3

• ]. Additionally, FEBID is a more gentle technique as compared to similar techniques (e.g., ion beam induced deposition (IBID)) which is beneficial for many applications. The major drawback to FEBID is the purity of the final deposits which results from unwanted precursor fragments left after dissociation. The