Carbon patterns (C layers) were deposited on iron surfaces by electron-beam induced contamination decomposition writing. Chemical and electrochemical etching were used to investigate the protective nature of these C layers against metal corrosion. The results clearly show that E-beam written C patterns can be very corrosion resistant. The key factor controlling the degree of protectiveness, under given conditions of attack, is the deposition dose, i.e., the layer thickness. For sufficiently high doses, the iron surface can be completely protected against corrosion. Therefore, this direct masking approach opens new perspectives for highly precise and controlled local corrosion suppression. (C) 2002 The Electrochemical Society.