Low-resistivity, high-resolution W-C electrical contacts fabricated by direct-write focused electron beam induced deposition.

: The use of a focused ion beam to decompose a precursor gas and produce a metallic deposit is a widespread nanolithographic technique named focused ion beam induced deposition (FIBID). However, such an approach is unsuitable if the sample under study is sensitive to the somewhat aggressive exposure to the ion beam, which induces the effects of surface amorphization, local milling, and ion implantation, among others. An alternative strategy is that of focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID), which makes use of a focused electron beam instead, and in general yields deposits with much lower metallic content than their FIBID counterparts.

Direct-write of tungsten-carbide nanoSQUIDs based on focused ion beam induced deposition.

NanoSQUIDs are quantum sensors that excel in detecting a small change in magnetic flux with high sensitivity and high spatial resolution. Here, we employ resist-free direct-write Ga Focused Ion Beam Induced Deposition (FIBID) techniques to grow W-C nanoSQUIDs, and we investigate their electrical response to changes in the magnetic flux. Remarkably, FIBID allows the fast (3 min) growth of 700 nm × 300 nm nanoSQUIDs based on narrow nanobridges (50 nm wide) that act as Josephson junctions.

Superconducting Materials and Devices Grown by Focused Ion and Electron Beam Induced Deposition.

Since its discovery in 1911, superconductivity has represented an equally inciting and fascinating field of study in several areas of physics and materials science, ranging from its most fundamental theoretical understanding, to its practical application in different areas of engineering. The fabrication of superconducting materials can be downsized to the nanoscale by means of : nanopatterning techniques that make use of a focused beam of ions or electrons to decompose a gaseous precursor in a single step. Overcoming the need to use a resist, these approaches allow for targeted, highly-flexible nanopatterning of nanostructures with lateral resolution in the range of 10 nm to 30 nm.