Kyle Sprecker

In this work, we demonstrated direct‐write editing of niobium superconducting thin film devices by focused electron beam induced etching (FEBIE) with the XeF2 precursor. Niobium films of 200 and 50 nm thickness were deposited onto SiO2 coated silicon wafers by magnetron sputtering and fabricated into four‐point probe patterns. Directly written FEBIE current crowding Dayem bridge devices were synthesized and characterized. Furthermore, Josephson junctions were fabricated via FEBIE line etches to form a trench across the ≈3.8 µm superconducting channel width. Detailed superconducting transport properties of the devices were characterized.

Oxygen-focused ion beam induced deposition (O-FIBID) enables the direct-write fabrication of Pt nanostructures while simultaneously enhancing purity concurrently through reactive oxygen–deposit interactions. By systematically varying the dwell time, accelerating voltage, and precursor pressure, the Pt content and conductivity can be controlled. Under optimum conditions, the Pt content reached 63 at.%. Across the dwell-time range used for resistivity measurements, the Pt content increased from 20 to 33 at.%, while the resistivity decreased from 2.9 × 10⁴ μΩ·cm to 1.2 × 10³ μΩ·cm, which is consistent with enhanced percolation through Pt grains and the lower intrinsic resistivity of the purer Pt deposit. The simulation results support a purification mechanism driven by the beam-induced activation of implanted oxygen balanced against the preferential sputtering of Pt. These results demonstrate O-FIBID as a viable method for the nanoscale direct write of conductive Pt without post-processing, and some deviations from conventional FIBID wisdom are observed. These results serve as a foundation for exploring nascent, reactive focused ion beam-induced deposition processes.