A microdeposition technique based on focused ion beam (FIB) sputtering has been developed to overcome the problems of ion radiation damage and high impurity concentration found in metal contacts deposited by FIB-induced deposition from organometallic gas. This damage-free technique is most useful for making metal electrodes onto nonplanar samples such as micron-sized single crystals and nanowires. To demonstrate the capability, four Au wires were connected to an similar to 200 mu m NbSe2 single crystal, and its resistivity versus temperature characteristics were measured. This FIB sputtering microdeposition method with micron-scale spatial resolution can be employed for the deposition of any material. (c) 2007 American Vacuum Society.