Electrodeposited Ni, Fe, Co and Cu single and multilayer nanowire arrays on anodic aluminum oxide template

Abstract

The Ni, Fe, Co and Cu single and multilayer nanowire arrays to make perpendicular magnetic recording media were fabricated with nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates from Watt solution and additives by the DC electrodeposition. The results show that the diameters of Ni, Fe, Co and Cu single and multilayer nanowires in AAO templates are 40–80 nm and the lengths are about 30 μm with the aspect ratio of 350–750. The magnetic properties of the prepared nanowires are different under different electrodepositing conditions. The remanences ( B r) of Ni/Cu/Fe multilayer nanowires are lower than those of others multilayer nanowires, and coercivity ( H c) of Ni/Cu/Fe multilayer nanowires are lower than those of others multilayer nanowires. These are compatible with the required conditions of high density magnetic media devices that should have the low coercivity to easily success magnetization and high remanence to keep magnetization after removal of magnetic field.