NPGS : Electron Beam Induced Deposition (EBID)
This is an SEM image of platinum features deposited directly onto a substrate
using Electron Beam Induced Deposition (EBID).
The features were written using NPGS with a thermal FE SEM with an OmniGIS Gas Injection System attached. The precursor used to deposit these platinum (Pt) features was MeCpPtMe3 [Trimethyl(methylcyclopentadienyl)platinum(IV)]. These features were written at 30 kV with 1 nA of beam current. The writing time for the features in the image was approximately 2 minutes. Note how the base of the features are ~100 nm in diameter, while the tips are much smaller.
NPGS can also be used with ion beam microscopes which have a gas injection system to perform ion beam induced deposition.
Image courtesy of JEOL USA, Copyright 2009.