  We demonstrate a method for loading surface electrode ion traps by electron
impact ionization. The method relies on the property of surface electrode
geometries that the trap depth can be increased at the cost of more
micromotion. By introducing a buffer gas, we can counteract the rf heating
assocated with the micromotion and benefit from the larger trap depth. After an
initial loading of the trap, standard compensation techniques can be used to
cancel the stray fields resulting from charged dielectric and allow for the
loading of the trap at ultra-high vacuum.
