Nano-holes fabricated by Ion Beam Induced Deposition

The authors fabricated 10 nanometer holes in 45 nm thick suspending Si₃N₄ membrane using a single-step ion beam induced deposition (IBID). Results showed that the size of the holes can be controlled by the current, dwell time and exposure time of the beam and the holes size depends on a balance between sputtering and deposition in IBID, which changes from sputtering in the island's center to deposition in its rim. The balance can be optimized through adjusting the Ga beam parameters.