Three dimensional quasi-regular arrangement of ferromagnetic nanostructures within porous silicon

The presented hybrid material consists of a porous silicon matrix and precipitated metal nanostructures within the pores. The porous silicon is achieved by wet etching of a silicon wafer, offering straight pores grown perpendicular to the surface. Ferromagnetic metals are electrochemically deposited within the pores leading to a composite material merging the electronic properties of silicon and the magnetic behaviour of the metal precipitates. Considering the metal deposition, samples with various spatial distributions of the metal structures within the pores can be fabricated and also the geometry of the precipitates can be modified. Thus the magnetic behaviour of the samples can be tuned during the fabrication process. The physical properties of the system strongly depend on the structural features wherefore its precise investigation is of great importance.