Electron Beam-Induced Writing of Nanoscale Iron Wires on a Functional Metal Oxide

*S Supporting Information ABSTRACT: Electron beam-induced surface activation (EBISA) has been used to grow wires of iron on rutile TiO2(110)-(1 × 1) in ultrahigh vacuum. The wires have a width down to ∼20 nm and hence have potential utility as interconnects on this dielectric substrate. Wire formation was achieved using an electron beam from a scanning electron microscope to activate the surface, which was subsequently exposed to Fe(CO)5. On the basis of scanning tunneling microscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy measurements, the activation mechanism involves electron beam-induced surface reduction and restructuring. Surfaces of rutile TiO2 have for many years been used as model systems to explore the physics and chemistry associated with the varied applications of the material.1,2 Of particular interest has been the surface science associated with light harvestin