Ultrafine Fe–Co nanowires: Fabrication and heat treatment influence on the structure and magnetic properties

Ultrafine nanowires of Fe–Co with a diameter around 15 nm have been fabricated by electrodeposition method using anodic porous alumina as a template. The alloy nanowires were in the form of arrays and consisting of polycrystalline structures. They showed obvious shape anisotropy parallel to the axis of nanowires and the perpendicular coercivity (Hc⊥) was found to be 2576.8 Oe which is higher than any coercivity value reported in the literature. The effects of critical factors such as heat treatment and temperature of annealing on the structure and magnetic properties of the ultrafine nanowire arrays were studied and discussed.

► Ultrafine 15 nm Fe–Co nanowires have been synthesized using AAO template.
► The ultrafine nanowires obtained possess obvious magnetic shape anisotropy.
► The perpendicular coercivity of the as-prepared nanowires is 2576.8 Oe.
► The maximum value of the squareness is 0.92.