New Directions in Focused Ion Beam Induced Deposition for the Nanoprinting of Functional 3D Heterostructures

Abstract: The focused ion beam (FIB) microscope is well established as a high-resolution machining instrument capable of site-selectively removing material down to the nanoscale. Beyond subtractive processing, however, the FIB can also add material using a technique known as focused ion beam induced deposition (FIBID), enabling the direct-write of complex nanostructures. This work explores new directions in three-dimensional nanoprinting with FIBID, harnessing unique features of helium and neon FIBs to fabricate nanoscale heterostructures, including multimaterial architectures and deposits with engineered internal voids. Detailed insight into the chemical and structural composition of these nanostructures is obtained using advanced electron microscopy, revealing buried interfaces and material transformations. Building on these results, the evolution of FIBID into a versatile platform for functional nanomaterials design is discussed, opening pathways toward next-generation nanoscale devices and technologies.