Effect of annealing on nanostructured Fe networks

Author

Weston, James L. ; Butera, Alejandro ; Inturi, Venkat R. ; Jarratt, James D. ; Klemmer, Tim J. ; Barnard, John A.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Metall. & Mater. Eng., Alabama Univ., Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

Volume

33

Issue

5

fYear

1997

fDate

9/1/1997 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

3628

Lastpage

3630

Abstract

Contiguous nanostructured Fe network structures sputter deposited on a porous template (nanochannel alumina) have been shown to have a high coercivity due to shape anisotropy. When these networks are vacuum annealed, even at modest temperatures, there is a significant improvement in their in-plane coercivities. The shape of the annealed coercivity vs. thickness plot is a function of the substrate geometry. The maximum coercivity obtained through annealing is ~1390 Oe and appears to be an absolute maximum. The topology of these networks when viewed by a scanning electron microscope undergoes morphological changes perpendicular to the plane of the network upon annealing. The annealed structures have the appearance of a modified “chain of spheres”, or a mesh of spheres

Keywords

annealing; ferromagnetic materials; iron; magnetic anisotropy; magnetic hysteresis; magnetic thin films; nanostructured materials; porous materials; scanning electron microscopy; sputtered coatings; superparamagnetism; Al₂O₃; Fe; annealed coercivity; annealing; chain of spheres; contiguous nanostructured Fe network structures; high coercivity; high density recording; hysteresis loops; in-plane coercivities; mesh of spheres; morphological changes; nanochannel alumina; nanostructured Fe networks; network topology; porous template; scanning electron microscope; shape anisotropy; sputter deposition; substrate geometry; superparamagnetic size effect; thickness plot; vacuum annealed; Anisotropic magnetoresistance; Annealing; Coercive force; Electrons; Geometry; Iron; Nanostructures; Network topology; Shape; Temperature;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9464

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/20.619519

Filename

619519