Morphology and magnetic properties of island-like Co and Ni films obtained by de-wetting

The morphological, structural, and magnetic properties of Co and Ni films of different thicknesses grown by RF sputtering on a Si–SiO substrate and submitted to controlled diffusion of atoms on the substrate (de-wetting) are studied through X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy, X-ray pho...

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Published inJournal of nanoparticle research : an interdisciplinary forum for nanoscale science and technology Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 245 - 255
Main Authors Tiberto, P., Gupta, S., Bianco, S., Celegato, F., Martino, P., Chiolerio, A., Tagliaferro, A., Allia, P.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 2011
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects
Atomic structure
Characterization and Evaluation of Materials
Chemistry and Materials Science
Diffusion
Inorganic Chemistry
Lasers
Magnetic properties
Materials Science
Nanocomposites
Nanomaterials
Nanoparticles
Nanostructure
Nanotechnology
Nickel
Optical Devices
Optics
Photonics
Physical Chemistry
Research Paper
X-ray diffraction
X-rays
Coercive field
Magnetic thin films
De-wetting technique
Magnetic nanoparticles
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Summary:The morphological, structural, and magnetic properties of Co and Ni films of different thicknesses grown by RF sputtering on a Si–SiO substrate and submitted to controlled diffusion of atoms on the substrate (de-wetting) are studied through X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and alternating-gradient magnetometry. For both metals, de-wetting treatment leads to the growth of non-percolating, metallic nanoislands characterized by a distribution of sizes and aspect ratios. XRD spectra reveal a polycrystalline multi-component structure evolving by effect of de-wetting and directly affecting the magnetic properties of films. The magnetic response after de-wetting is consistent with the formation of a nanogranular magnetic phase characterized by a complex, thickness-dependent magnetic behavior originating from the simultaneous presence of superparamagnetic and blocked-particle contributions. At intermediate film thickness (around 10 nm), a notable enhancement in magnetic coercivity is observed for both metals with respect to the values measured in precursor films and in their bulk counterparts.
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ISSN:1388-0764
1572-896X
DOI:10.1007/s11051-010-0023-2