Direct-Write Ion Beam Lithography

Table 1

Summary of fabrication processes with focused ion beams and the corresponding physical phenomenon behind them.

Fabrication process	Physical phenomenon behind
Milling	Surface sputtering
Etching	Chemically enhanced milling (directed/localized reactive ion etching)
Deposition	Gas-phase precursor dissociation on the surface (ion-assisted chemical vapor deposition)
Surface functionalization	Creation of surface defects at low ion doses
Intermixing (layered materials)	Destruction of atomic order in interaction volume
Amorphization (crystalline materials)	Destruction of atomic order in interaction volume
Implantation (to alter general physical/chemical properties more often than electronic properties)	Chemical and/or physical change resulting from the incorporation of ions
Resist exposure (a lithography step that requires further processing)	Chemical bond dissociation or formation by interaction with secondary electrons during implantation of organic and inorganic polymers