Ultra-fast direct growth of metallic micro- and nano-structures by focused ion beam irradiation

An ultra-fast method to directly grow metallic micro- and nano-structures is introduced. It relies on a Focused Ion Beam (FIB) and a condensed layer of suitable precursor material formed on the substrate under cryogenic conditions. The technique implies cooling the substrate below the condensation temperature of the gaseous precursor material, subsequently irradiating with ions according to the wanted pattern, and posteriorly heating the substrate above the condensation temperature. Here, using W(CO)6 as the precursor material, a Ga+ FIB, and a substrate temperature of -100 °C, W-C metallic layers and nanowires with resolution down to 38 nm have been grown by Cryogenic Focused Ion Beam Indu…