Magnetic field assisting DC electrodeposition: general methods for high-performance Ni nanowire array fabrication

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Magnetism

Background:

• One-dimensional magnetic nanowires typically exhibit axial magnetism due to their high aspect ratio.
• Arrays of magnetic nanowires fabricated via DC electrodeposition often display low squareness along the nanowire axis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop general and simple methods for improving the squareness of nickel nanowire arrays parallel to the nanowire direction.
• To analyze the magnetic properties in relation to the microstructure of the fabricated nanowires.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of nickel nanowire arrays using DC electrodeposition in template pores.
• Development and application of two distinct methods to enhance magnetic squareness.
• Microstructural analysis of the resulting nickel nanowires.

Main Results:

• The developed methods successfully improved the squareness of the nickel nanowire arrays in the parallel direction.
• The as-fabricated nickel nanowires were characterized as polycrystalline.
• A correlation between microstructure and magnetic properties was established.

Conclusions:

• The study presents effective strategies for enhancing the axial magnetic squareness of nickel nanowire arrays.
• Understanding the polycrystalline nature is crucial for optimizing magnetic performance.
• The findings contribute to the development of advanced magnetic nanostructures.