Decomposition of palladium acetate films with a microfocused ion beam.

Submicron Pd features have been fabricated on Si and Si0(2) substrates by microfocused Ga(+) ion beam exposure of spin- on palladium acetate [Pd(0(2)CCH(3))(2)](3) films. Electrical conductivity measurements were made on the exposed features as a function of ion dose for nominal linewidths of one and ten micrometers. The sheet conductivity in the two cases is comparable and increases dramatically in the exposure dose range between 2 x 10(14) and 5 x 10(14) ions/cm(2). The conductivity of the exposed lines is further increased after heating in a hydrogen furnace. Potential applications of this process include mask repair and integrated circuit modification.