Resolution in new nanofabrication technique combining electron-beam-induced deposition and low-energy ion milling

A new nanofabrication technique in which the deposits fabricated by electron-beam-induced deposition (EBID) are used as masks for low-energy ion milling was performed with various masks deposited at different deposition times, and the shape changes of the W mask and GaAs substrates caused by ion milling were observed. From these results, the time evolution of the shape change of the fabricated structures was studied, and the resolution dependence of the structure to the mask size was determined. The W mask showed a lower etch rate, proving its effectiveness as a mask for ion milling. Nanostructures less than 10 nm in diameter can be fabricated by this method.