SiC_x nano dots and nano wires with sizes from 60 nm to approximately 2 µm were fabricated using liquid cell transmission electron microscope (TEM) technology. A SiCl₄ in CH₂Cl₂ solution was sealed between two pieces of Si₃N₄ window grids in an in situ TEM liquid cell. Focused 200 keV electron beams were used to bombard the sealed precursors, which caused decomposition of the precursor materials, and deposition of the nano materials on the Si₃N₄ window substrates. The size of nano dots increased with beam exposure time, following an approximately exponential relationship with the beam doses. Secondary electrons are attributed as the primary sources for the Si and C reduction. A nano device was formed from a deposited nano wire, with its electrical property characterized.

Several nano material and reaction systems were in situ monitored with an electrochemical TEM wet cell set up. In a 1 g/L sliver particle aqueous solution, the particles were observed to be ca. 10 nm sized, in both discrete particle and nano cluster forms. The silver particles were attached to the 50 nm-thick Si₃N₄ windows of the wet cell and could not move freely in the liquid. With a SiCl₄ liquid loaded in the wet cell, silicon nano materials were controllably grown on the wet cell windows by means of a liquid phase electron beam induced deposition (EBID) method. The deposited nano dots were nicely round-shaped, and demonstrated a power law growth dependency on beam exposure time in a log-log plot. In a NiCl2 solution/Ni system, both electrochemical deposition and dissolution of the nickel nano films were observed while applying electric biases on to the nickel electrodes in the wet cell. Instead of extensional growth on existing crystals, interestingly, it is more commonly observed that new nickel nano particles grow out in front of the existing film first and then merged into the film. The wet cell set up is demonstrated to be a versatile tool for nano liquid system research.