Abstract
Electrochemical deposition of interconnected nanowires and nanotubes made of ferromagnetic metals into track-etched polycarbonate templates with crossed nanochannels has been revealed suitable for the fabrication of mechanically stable three-dimensional magnetic nanostructures with large surface area. These 3D networks embedded into flexible polymer membranes are also planar and lightweight. This fabrication technique allows for the control of the geometric characteristics and material composition of interconnected magnetic nanowire or nanotube networks, which can be used to fine-tune their magnetic and magneto-transport properties. The magnetostatic contribution to the magnetic anisotropy of crossed nanowire networks can be easily controlled using the diameter, packing density, or angle distribution characteristics. Furthermore, the fabrication of Co and Co-rich NiCo alloy crossed nanowires with textured hcp phases leads to an additional significant magnetocrystalline contribution to the magnetic anisotropy that can either compete or add to the magnetostatic contribution. The fabrication of an interconnected nanotube network has also been demonstrated, where the hollow core and the control over the tube wall thickness add another degree of freedom to control the magnetic properties and magnetization reversal mechanisms. Finally, three-dimensional networks made of interconnected multilayered nanowire with a succession of ferromagnetic and non-magnetic layers have been successfully fabricated, leading to giant magnetoresistance responses measured in the current-perpendicular-to-plane configuration. These interconnected nanowire networks have high potential as integrated, reliable, and stable magnetic field sensors; magnetic devices for memory and logic operations; or neuromorphic computing.
Highlights
The magneto-transport measurements were conducted in the temperature range between 10 K and 320 K
The present study presented the controlled template-assisted synthesis and characterization in terms of magnetic and magneto-transport properties of 3D ferromagnetic nanowire and nanotube networks
The flexibility provided by the polymer membrane and the ease to performed magneto-transport measurements are other advantages of these complex nanostructures
Summary
Recent developments in the synthesis of three-dimensional (3D) networks made of interconnected nanowires (NWs) and nanotubes (NTs) offer new perspectives for various nanodevices and nano-electronics [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8] for applications such as energy harvesting and storage systems [3,6,9], sensing devices and actuators [4,7], catalysts [1], electrochromic elements [10], solar cells [11], biosensors and bio-analytical devices [12,13], and spin caloritronics devices [14,15] Their unique architecture offers advantageous mechanical and geometrical properties such as a good mechanical stability of the selfstanding nanostructures, high surface over volume ratio, and lightness to the network films. Multilayered NWs have been proved suitable to reliably measured the giant magnetoresistance in the current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) configuration, leading to large giant magnetoresistance ratios and reliable measurement of key spintronics parameters [24,37]
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