Challenges in patterning Mn-12-acetate thin films by electron-beam lithography

We investigate how electron-beam lithography can be applied to pattern Mn-12-acetate thin films produced by a solution evaporation technique. The low temperature magnetic ac-susceptibility data of the powder sample extracted from a film dipped into acetone indicate that some of the molecules in the film are deformed by acetone treatment concluding that acetone is not a proper chemical for the lift-off process, a crucial step in the patterning procedure.