Creating magnetic field sensors from GMR nanowire networks

•We fabricated magnetic field sensors form GMR nanowire networks.•The GMR percentage of the network is 14%, at a magnetic saturation field of 600 mT, at room temperature.•The nanowire magnetic field sensors have the unique attributes of being partially transparent, flexible, and scalable.

We present an elegant technique for the fabrication of magnetic field sensors based on FeCoNi/Cu multilayer GMR nanowire networks. Using a pulse electrodeposition technique, current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) multilayer GMR nanowires are fabricated inside of nanoporous templates. After GMR nanowires are fabricated, they are suspended in a carrier solution before being transferred to PET plastic substrates using vacuum filtration and a silicone stamp. Using this technique, each template of 4 cm2 yields nanowires sufficient for a GMR nanowire network coverage of approximately 300 cm2. The GMR nanowire network creates magnetic field sensors having the unique attributes of being partially transparent, flexible, and scalable. The electrical sheet resistance of these sensors is on the order of 40 Ω/□. The GMR percentage of the network is 14%, at a magnetic saturation field of 600 mT, at room temperature