We explore a novel phenomenon of focused ion beam (FIB) induced bending of carbon nanopillars or cantilever structures. The bending occurs towards the ion beam during scanning. The explanation of this bending has been sought on the basis of a model which considers temperature rise and gradients caused by the impinging ion beam. The process is controllable and reversible, which makes it highly suitable for in situ manipulation to make desired 3D shapes by the piecewise bending of the nanopillars and cantilever structures during their fabrication using electron beam or FIB chemical vapor deposition (EB-CVD or FIB-CVD). Its usefulness in the fabrication of nanosize mechanical components has been demonstrated by making a branch structure from a single cantilever.
We present a 'universal' phenomenon of mass accumulation and its sensing on nanostructures due to electron beam cracking of residual gas molecules during electron beam scanning. Though the extent of this phenomenon is limited to a very small increment in mass or thickness, it has significant implications for both the scientific and technological aspects of almost all processes in the nanodomain. Mass accumulation in every frame scan (or per second) is of the order of a few attograms and the thickness of deposition is of the order of picometre (fraction of a monolayer) only. Direct measurement of a mass or thickness of this order is difficult. Nanopillars having a high resonance 'Q-factor' have been successfully exploited for such high precision measurements. The mass accumulation rate has been characterized with respect to (i) electron energy and beam current, (ii) environment within the chamber (presence or absence of a precursor gas) and (iii) partial exposure of the nanopillars to the e-beam.
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