Technology basis and perspectives on focused electron beam induced deposition and focused ion beam induced deposition

The main characteristics of focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) and focused ion beam induced deposition (FIBID) are presented. FEBID and FIBID are two nanopatteming techniques that allow the fabrication of submicron patterns with nanometer resolution on selected locations of any kind of substrate, even on highly structured supports. The process consists of mask less serial deposition and can be applied to a wide variety of materials, depending strictly on the precursor material source used. The basic mechanism of FEBID and FIBID is the adsorption of volatile precursor molecules onto the sample surface and decomposition of the molecules induced by the energetic electron and ion focused beams. The essential similarities of the two techniques are presented and especial emphasis is dedicated to highlighting their main differences, such as aspects related to resolution, deposition rate, deposits purity, substrate integrity, etc. In both cases, the factors interplay and complex mechanisms are still understood in a qualitative basis, so much work can still be done in terms of modeling and simulating the processes involved in FEBID and FIBID. Current work on FEBID and FIBID is presented through examples of achievements, interesting results and novel approaches. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.