title: Pulsed laser-assisted focused electron-beam-induced etching of titanium with XeF2: enhanced reaction rate and precursor transport.
abstract: In order to enhance the etch rate of electron-beam-induced etching, we introduce a laser-assisted focused electron-beam-induced etching (LA-FEBIE) process which is a versatile, direct write nanofabrication method that allows nanoscale patterning and editing. The results demonstrate that the titanium electron stimulated etch rate via the XeF2 precursor can be enhanced up to a factor of 6 times with an intermittent pulsed laser assist. The evolution of the etching process is correlated to in situ stage current measurements and scanning electron micrographs as a function of time. The increased etch rate is attributed to photothermally enhanced Ti-F reaction and TiF4 desorption and in some regimes enhanced XeF2 surface diffusion to the reaction zone.
authors: Department of Materials Science, Engineering, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States.
authors: J H
authors: JH
authors: Noh
authors: J D
authors: JD
authors: Fowlkes
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Timilsina
authors: M G
authors: MG
authors: Stanford
authors: B B
authors: BB
authors: Lewis
authors: P D
authors: PD
authors: Rack
keywords: Ti; XeF2; focused electron-beam-induced etching (FEBIE); focused electron-beam-induced processing (FEBIP); laser-assisted reaction; nanofabrication