US Patent 7419917 Ion implanted microscale and nanoscale device method

A method is used for producing nanoscale and microscale devices in a variety of materials, such as silicon dioxide patterned buried films. The method is inexpensive and reliable for making small scale mechanical, optical, or electrical devices and relies upon the implantation of ions into a substrate and subsequent annealing to form a stoichiometric film with the device geometry is defined by the implant energy and dose and so is not limited by the usual process parameters.