A paradigm change: Focused Electron Beam Nanostructuring of Glass

Abstract We demonstrate a paradigm change in nanofabrication by using a focused electron beam in an operating mode as used in conventional scanning electron microscopy, previously known as non-destructive technique, for direct and large-scale glass and glass ceramics patterning. Nanostructured glasses and glass ceramics are of fundamental importance for many applications ranging from optics to nano- and microscale devices over precision engineering and metrology. Direct focused electron beam patterning can hereby replace the elaborate combination of surface masking combined with dry-chemical reactive ion etching and enable new and efficient fabrication strategies for the creation of structures being several hundred nanometers deep. We discuss a first model based on ion migration and successfully realized the structuring process using electron energies of 5 to 15 keV in combination with different kinds of glasses, such as fused silica and ultra-low expansion glass. We furthermore demonstrate that this technique can be realized in literally any conventional scanning electron microscope, which thus enables a comparatively simple implementation in support of a broad field of applications. By controlling the surface beam trajectory, freeform surface structures and structure arrays can be directly engraved into the glass surface, which includes furthermore fragile and suspended structures and the embedding of metal structures. The technique is also compatible with 3D surface structures as long as they can be accessed by the electron beam.