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Layer-by-layer growth of complex-shaped three-dimensional nanostructures with focused electron beams

The fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) nanostructures is of great interest to many areas of nanotechnology currently challenged by fundamental limitations of conventional lithography. One of the most promising direct-write methods for 3D nanofabrication is focused electron beam-induced deposition (FEBID), owing to its high spatial resolution and versatility. Here we extend FEBID to the growth of complex-shaped 3D nanostructures by combining the layer-by-layer approach of conventional macroscopic 3D printers and the proximity effect correction of electron beam lithography. This framework is based on the continuum FEBID model and is capable of adjusting for a wide range of effects present during deposition, including beam-induced heating, defocussing and gas flux anisotropies. We demonstrate the capabilities of our platform by fabricating free-standing nanowires, surfaces with varying curvatures and topologies, and general 3D objects, directly from standard stereolithography (STL) files and using different precursors. Real 3D nanoprinting as demonstrated here opens up exciting avenues for the study and exploitation of 3D nanoscale phenomena.