Implementation of MeV heavy-ion implantation into a microstructures with a defined pattern structure using a nuclear microprobe

Facilities equipped with electrostatic accelerators for ion beam analysis often perform high-energy ion beam
implantation to dope target materials. A typical task of ion implantation is the uniform placement of ions over a
large area using a wide-profile raster-scanned beam. Implantation of ions in a specific pattern (ion beam
lithography) is also possible; however, this requires the use of masks, which are typically outsourced for pro­
duction. Laboratories equipped with a nuclear microprobe can accomplish ion beam lithography without the
need for masks, using the direct-write method, although the ion mass and energy may be limited by the magnetic
rigidity of the microprobe focusing system. The aim of this work is to demonstrate the possibility of heavy ion
lithography without the need for outsourced masks, using a nuclear microprobe as an auxiliary technique. The
validity of the proposed method was established by implantation of 2.5 MeV gold ions into glass in a pattern with
a minimum feature size of 3 μm. The potential challenges of this method are described in detail. The most critical
issue of this method is material incompatibility.