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Updated: Oct 21, 2025
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Published on: July 22, 2013
Ni80Fe20 nanotubes with optimized spintronic functionalities prepared by atomic layer deposition.
Maria Carmen Giordano1, Simon Escobar Steinvall, Sho Watanabe
1Institute of Materials, Laboratory of Nanoscale Magnetic Materials and Magnonics, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), School of Engineering, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. dirk.grundler@epfl.ch.
Plasma-enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition enables the creation of 3D permalloy (NiFe) nanostructures for magnonics. This technique allows for precise control over magnetic properties in complex geometries, opening doors for advanced spintronic devices.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Physics
Background:
- Permalloy (NiFe) is crucial for magnonics, but fabricating 3D nanostructures is challenging.
- Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) offers precise thin-film deposition on complex surfaces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a plasma-enhanced ALD process for fabricating 3D permalloy nanostructures.
- To optimize the process for specific magnetic and electrical properties.
- To demonstrate the applicability for creating permalloy nanotubes on nanowires.
Main Methods:
- Utilized plasma-enhanced ALD with nickelocene and iron(iii) tert-butoxide precursors.
- Employed water as an oxidant and hydrogen plasma for reduction.
- Optimized Ni:Fe ratio and ALD cycle parameters.
- Characterized thin films and nanotubes using microfocused Brillouin Light Scattering.
Main Results:
- Achieved a low Gilbert damping of 0.013 and resistivity of 28 μΩ cm.
- Observed an anisotropic magnetoresistance effect of 5.6% in planar films.
- Successfully deposited permalloy nanotubes (150 nm diameter) on GaAs nanowires.
Conclusions:
- Plasma-enhanced ALD is a viable method for creating 3D permalloy nanostructures.
- The fabricated materials exhibit promising magnetic properties for GHz frequency applications.
- Enables the development of NiFe-based 3D spintronics and magnonic devices with complex topologies.
