| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1666328 | Thin Solid Films | 2013 | 5 Pages |
The FeCo material was synthesized in nanoparticle form in a TiN/FeCo/TiN sandwich structure using a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. FeCo is significantly cheaper than noble metal based bimetallic materials such as Fe–Pt, Ni–Pd, etc. A Fe0.5 Co0.5 composition was chosen in this study which is based on the local spin-density electronic-structure calculations. The advantage of this structure is in-situ passivation of FeCo nanoparticles by TiN thin films which is highly stable against atmospheric ambient conditions. TiN/FeCo/TiN samples with variable FeCo nanoparticle size were made by changing the number of laser pulses impinging on a chemically synthesized composite FeCo target. By controlling the particle size in the confined layers, it was possible to tune the magnetic properties from superparamagnetic to ferromagnetic in a controlled way. Magnetic hysteresis characteristics below the blocking temperature are consistent with single-domain behavior.
► TiN/FeCo/TiN structure using FeCo nanoparticles (NP) made by pulsed laser deposition ► In-situ passivation of FeCo NP is highly stable against atmospheric conditions. ► FeCo NP size controlled by number of laser pulses impinging on composite FeCo target ► Magnetic properties controlled by particle size in the confined layers
