Cobalt nanowire fabrication on activated nitrogen-templated Cu(210) surface

Abstract

We have investigated self-organized cobalt nanowires grown on activated nitrogen (AN)-templated Cu(210) high index surface. The morphology and magnetic properties of the grown Co nanowires were studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE), respectively. The chemical state of the nanowires formed was characterized by in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that Co grew preferentially along the narrow chains induced by the AN to form periodic Co nanowire arrays with diameter of 10nm, which leads to a strong magnetic in-plane uniaxial anisotropy. Unlike the Co nanostructures formed on AN-modified low index Cu surfaces [Cu(100) and Cu(110)], these Co nanowires showed good thermal stability up to 470 °C, at which temperature the AN had desorbed from the surface. © 2006 The Japan Society of Applied Physics.