Dynamic growth of carbon nanopillars and microrings in electron beam induced dissociation of residual hydrocarbons.
Electron beam induced dissociation (EBID) of residual hydrocarbons is a common contamination problem in electron microscopy. Formation of amorphous carbon thin films, dots, rings, and complex three-dimensional (3D) structures has been documented. In recent years there has been a renewed interest in utilization EBID of residual hydrocarbons for nanomanufacturing and metrology. With the increase and the diversification of EBID applications, ability for an a priori prediction of the appropriate deposition settings (such as electron beam current, diameter, and energy) that would result in a desired deposit size and geometry is becoming increasingly important. Toward this end, we report how simulations can be used to quantitatively predict the complex shape and non-linear dynamics of secondary ring-type microstructures formed around nanopillar deposits. The deposition experiments were performed on a Si(100) substrate for different electron beam energies and currents. Deposit shape and transient evolution were characterized using atomic force microscopy and critically compared against simulations results.
Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
Konrad
K
Rykaczewski
Andrew
A
Marshall
William B
WB
White
Andrei G
AG
Fedorov