Formation and magnetic behaviour of nanostructured Fe nanomesh prepared on porous alumina surface

Abstract

The process for the preparation of nanoporous Fe films on the surface of a porous anodic alumina (PAA) membrane (with pore diameters of 50, 65, and 80 nm) is performed. PAA membranes with different topological parameters are used as a base with a relief porous surface on which Fe films with a thickness of up to 95 ± 5 nm are deposited by ion beam evaporation. The morphology of the Fe films completely replicates the relief of the porous membranes, as shown by the electron microscopy with element analysis. Fe films are uniformly deposited on the surface of PAA cells around the pores and represent a cellular-porous hexagonally ordered Fe array nanostructure. The results of the magnetic measurements show that the Fe films are characterized by perpendicular magnetic anisotropy with a twofold increase in the coercive force when measured in the perpendicular geometry compared to the in-plane direction. The obtained results show the possibility of wide practical application of such Fe films: for the fabrication of magnetically sensitive transistors, magnonic crystals, as a material for nanoelectrodes for studying electrochemical processes in the nanometer range and heat-resistant magnetically sensitive sensors.