Gas-assisted electron-beam-induced nanopatterning of high-quality Si-based insulator

An oxygen-assisted electron-beam-induced deposition (EBID) process, in which an oxygen flow and the vapor phase of the precursor, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), are both mixed and delivered through a single needle, is described. The optical properties of the SiO_(2+δ) (- 0.04 ≤ δ ≤ +0.28) are comparable to fused silica. The electrical resistivity of both single-needle and double-needle SiO_(2+δ) are comparable (greater than 7 GΩ cm) and a measured breakdown field is greater than 400 V μm^-1. Compared to the double-needle process the advantage of the single-needle technique is the ease of alignment and the proximity to the deposition location, which facilitates fabrication of complex 3D structures for nanophotonics, photovoltaics, micro- and nano-electronics applications.