Focused ion beam (FIB) technology has become increasingly popular in the fabrication of nanoscale structures. In this paper, the recent developments of the FIB technology are examined with emphasis on its ability to fabricate a wide variety of nanostructures. FIB-based nanofabrication involves four major approaches: milling, implantation, ion-induced deposition, and ion-assisted etching of materials; all these approaches are reviewed separately. Following an introduction of the uniqueness and strength of the technology, the ion source and systems used for FIB are presented. The principle and specific techniques underlying each of the four approaches are subsequently studied with emphasis on their abilities of writing structures with nanoscale accuracy. The differences and uniqueness among these techniques are also discussed. Finally, concluding remarks are provided where the strength and weakness of the techniques studied are summarized and the scopes for technological improvement and future research are recommended.

In addition to its well-known capabilities in imaging and spectroscopy, scanning probe microscopy ͑SPM͒ has recently shown great potentials for patterning of material structures in nanoscales. It has drawn the attention of not only the scientific community, but also the industry. This article examines various applications of SPM in modification, deposition, removal, and manipulation of materials for nanoscale fabrication. The SPM-based nanofabrication involves two basic technologies: scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Major techniques related to these two technologies are evaluated with emphasis on their abilities, efficiencies, and reliabilities to make nanostructures. The principle and specific approach underlying each technique are presented; the differences and uniqueness among these techniques are subsequently discussed. Finally, concluding remarks are provided where the strength and weakness of the techniques studied are summarized and the scopes for technology improvement and future research are recommended.

Miniaturization is the central theme in modern fabrication technology. Many of the components used in modern products are getting smaller and smaller. In this paper, the recent development of the electron beam lithography technique is reviewed with an emphasis on fabricating devices at the nanometer scale. Because of its very short wavelength and reasonable energy density characteristics, e-beam lithography has the ability to fabricate patterns having nanometer feature sizes. As a result, many nanoscale devices have been successfully fabricated by this technique. Following an introduction of this technique, recent developments in processing, tooling, resist, and pattern controlling are separately examined and discussed. Examples of nanodevices made by several different e-beam lithographic schemes are given, to illustrate the versatility and advancement of the e-beam lithography technique. Finally, future trends in this technique are discussed.

The application of focused ion beam (FIB) technology in microfabrication has become increasingly popular. Its use in microfabrication has advantages over contemporary photolithography or other micromachining technologies, such as small feature resolution, the ability to process without masks and being accommodating for a variety of materials and geometries. An overview of the recent development in FIB microfabrication technology is given. The emphasis will be on direct milling, or maskless techniques, and this can distinguish the FIB technology from the contemporary photolithography process and provide a vital alternative to it. After an introduction to the technology and its FIB principles, the recent developments in using milling techniques for making various high-quality devices and high-precision components at the micrometer scale are examined and discussed. Finally, conclusions are presented to summarize the reviewed work and to suggest the areas for improving the FIB milling technology and for future research.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been an effective material removing tool for fabricating various nanostructures because of its sub-nanometer precision and simplicity in operation. AFM material removing techniques have evolved from a solely mechanical process to one in which the tip can be loaded by additional energy sources, such as thermal, electric, or chemical, to enhance its fabrication abilities. In this paper, these material removing techniques are reviewed with an emphasis on their capabilities and recent progress. The recent hardware and software developments are first presented to provide a general view on the current status of the technology to be assessed. Following an overview of the feasibility and effectiveness of using mechanical scratching for removing various types of soft and hard materials, the processes of a wide range of approaches using multiple tip sources are then assessed with a focus on their principles, versatilities, and potentials for future applications.

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Recent developments of tip-based nanofabrication (TBN) are reviewed. In TBN, a functionalized cantilevered-tip is the common basic apparatus for performing the tasks of nanofabrication. The nanofabrication applications of three major techniques under the TBN family: atomic force microscopy (AFM), dip-pen nanolithography (DPN), and scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM), are studied with the focus on their manipulability over the size, orientation, and position of the nanostructures fabricated. The nanostructures made by these techniques are selectively presented in order to illustrate the versatility and advancement of these tip-based techniques. The information reviewed and illustrated is extrapolated to form the basis for the assessment of the needs and challenges facing the TBN community in the future. A preliminary roadmap over the next seven years is then developed. The prospective approaches and focusing areas for future research and development are also discussed.

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