Carbon electron beam induced deposition in conventional scanning electron microscopes: Toward practical nanoscale additive manufacturing

Dataset description: PNG and TIF data from original research within the project EBEAM. Precisely, there is four final, complex PNG figures and two TIFF files for table 1 and 2, below: Fig. 1. Conceptual overview of carbon electron beam induced deposition in scanning electron microscopes as a direct-write nanofabrication method. Electro-n–precursor interactions govern precursor dissociation and carbon deposition, while beam parameters such as accelerating voltage, current, and dwell time control growth kinetics and spatial resolution. The resulting amorphous carbon structures exhibit tuneable material properties including density and electrical conductivity. Emerging approaches combining correlative microscopy and artificial intelligence-based optimization may further enhance process controllability and reproducibility. Fig. 2. Schematic illustration of key growth regimes and spatial effects in electron beam induced deposition. Left: mass-transport-limited (MTL) growth where precursor supply to the beam interaction region is insufficient to sustain equilibrium surface coverage. Middle: reaction-rate-limited (RRL) growth where precursor availability remains high and deposition is governed primarily by electron-induced dissociation. Right: halo formation caused by dissociation induced by secondary and backscattered electrons outside the primary beam footprint. Fig. 3. Representative structures produced by hydrocarbon-driven EBID in scanning electron microscopes. (a) Vertically growing nanopillars formed under stationary beam irradiation. (b) Nanowire or line structures generated by beam scanning. (c) Electron-beam-written bridges enabling nanoscale electrical connections. (d) Carbon protective layers deposited during electron or ion beam processing. Fig. 4. Schematic representation of the relationship between electron-beam control parameters, precursor transport, and resulting EBID feature geometry in a conventional SEM. Beam parameters such as accelerating voltage, probe current, and dwell time define the local electron flux and interaction volume. These parameters influence precursor diffusion and dissociation within the deposition footprint, determining growth regimes and deposition efficiency. Depending on the irradiation strategy, stationary beams promote vertical pillar growth, whereas scanning beams enable patterned films and lateral structures, often accompanied by a surrounding halo region caused by secondary and backscattered electron–induced dissociation. Tab. 1. Representative physical and structural properties of carbon deposits formed by hydrocarbon-driven electron beam induced deposition in scanning electron microscopes. Reported values vary depending on beam parameters, precursor composition, and post-deposition electron irradiation. Tab. 2. Comparison of electron- and ion-beam-based nanofabrication techniques across key process attributes relevant to nanoscale additive manufacturing.