UTILIZING OF HYDROCARBON CONTAMINATION FOR PREVENTION OF THE SURFACE CHARGE-UP AT ELECTRON-BEAM ASSISTED CHEMICAL ETCHING OF A DIAMOND CHIP

Electron beam assisted chemical etching (EBACE) with oxygen gas is not applicable for direct fine patterning of diamond devices, because the diamond is an electrical insulator and electron beam impingement of t he diamond causes the surface charge-up. It is possible to form conduc tive layer of hydrocarbon on the diamond surface by electron beam irra diation in the atmosphere of diffusion pump oil vapors. In this paper, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) combined with oxygen gas introdu ction system was used for EBACE of the diamond. It was found by in-sit u SEM observation that rectangular patterns with several mu m(2) area and sub-mu m depth were formed on the diamond chip.