Direct STEM fabrication and characterization of self‐supporting carbon structures for nanoelectronics

A quantitative model is proposed to interpret the experimental results concerning the observed anomalous behavior of the thickness of growing self‐supporting carbon‐containing rods: a decrease in the thickness with increasing beam current. The model is based on the surface diffusion of hydrocarbon molecules and takes into account their ionization and desorption from the positively charged end of the growing rod. Possible causes of self‐maintained oscillation instability of the rod growth are discussed. Procedures are recommended to optimize the fabrication of self‐supporting carbon‐containing structures of complicated configurations and to reduce the negative effect of the incident beam electrons during their testing.