Growth of magnetic nanowires along freely selectable 〈hkl〉 crystal directions

Abstract

The production of nanowire materials, uniformly oriented along any arbitrarily chosen crystal orientation, is an important, yet unsolved, problem in material science. Here, we present a generalizable solution to this problem. The solution is based on the technique of glancing angle deposition combined with a rapid switching of the deposition direction between crystal symmetry positions. Using iron–cobalt as an example, we showcase the simplicity and capabilities of the process in one-step fabrications of 〈100〉, 〈110〉, 〈111〉, 〈210〉, 〈310〉, 〈320〉, and 〈321〉-oriented nanowires, three-dimensional nanowire spirals, core–shell heterostructures, and axial hybrids. Our results provide a new capability for tailoring the properties of nanowires, and should be generalizable to any material that can be grown as a single-crystal biaxial film.

Branching of Titanium Nanorods

“…The majority of the GLAD literature focuses on face-centered-cubic (FCC), bodycentered-cubic (BCC) and their compounds [7,9,[16][17][18][19][20][21][22]. In contrast, hexagonal close-packed (HCP) metals and their compounds have not received as much attention despite the many beneficial properties they possess.…”

Tuning domain wall dynamics by shaping nanowires cross-sections

“…Some examples are self-organized nanowires with a triangular cross-section grown on uniaxially grooved W(110) surfaces by Borca et al 6 , 7 . Also FeCo nanowires with a three-dimensional structure customizable by design were grown along arbitrary crystal directions by Tao et al 8 . In addition, 3D focused electron beam induced deposition 9 – 12 has opened new perspectives in science and technology, allowing the fabrication in one single direct-write step of nanostructures with small feature sizes, complex and diverse architectures and materials.…”

Nanoparticle seeded glancing-angle deposition of tip-handle heterostructures for manipulation of individual nanoparticles

“…Using thermal GLAD, SiO and Ge handles were grown on Fe@C-and Er 2 O 3 -seeded substrates, respectively. Using e-beam GLAD, Ti and FeCo handles were grown on Fe-seeded substrates [10]. All products were characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM).…”