Process Optimization and Simplification of Electron Beam Induced Deposition

Electron beam induced deposition (EBID) is often limited to auxiliary tasks, such as preparing protective layers before IBID processing, due to its slow deposition rate and low deposit purity. This study systematically investigates the improvement of process efficiency and simplification of the workflow, focusing on the influence of key process parameters on deposition rate and quality. A simplified process based on the "shrink frame" function of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) is proposed. The research shows that the deposition rate significantly increases at lower accelerating voltages; the beam current and deposition thickness have a linear positive correlation, and shorter dwell times contribute to higher deposition rates. By optimizing the parameters, this study achieved an EBID deposition efficiency of 0.03 μm³/nC, significantly exceeding the efficiency range reported in previous literature. The simplified process does not rely on complex dedicated programs and is easy to operate. Particularly in scenarios where high precision is not required but efficiency is prioritized, the optimized EBID process can completely replace the IBID process in certain applications. Therefore, we believe that optimizing the parameters of electron beam induced deposition in focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM), improving the deposition rate, and simplifying the operation process has significant application value, providing a new solution and alternative for depositing protective layers.