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Research Highlight

Heat-Induced Deformation during 3D Nanoprinting

Heat-Induced Deformation during 3D Nanoprinting
(a) Virtual scanning electron microscope images reveal that electron beam heating deforms 3D deposits during growth. (b) The temperature profile (units of Kelvin) along the deposit (left) strongly influences (right) the precursor molecule surface coverage (units of percent surface coverage), which is the source for growth. (c) Including the beam heating effect in 3D simulations reproduces deformation found in real deposits confirming the distortion mechanism.

Scientific Achievement

Electron beam heating was found to cause a common structural deformation observed during focused electron beam deposition.

Significance and Impact

Structurally accurate deposits are now possible with knowledge of the distortion mechanism

Research Details

– 3D nanostructures are deposited by focused electron beam induced deposition. – Complementary nanostructures were ‘virtually’ grown using a 3D simulation which includes the effect of electron beam heating. – Simulations revealed that heating effects during deposition dynamically reduces the coverage of precursor molecules on the surface of the deposit causing a cumulative geometric distortion.   E. Mutunga, R. Winkler, J. Sattelkow, P. D. Rack, H. Plank, and J. D. Fowlkes, "Impact of Electron-Beam heating during 3D Nanoprinting," ACS Nano (2019).  DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b09341