Synthesis of conical Co–Fe alloys structures obtained with crystal modifier in superimposed magnetic field

Abstract

The addition of crystal modifier to electrolyte used during electrodeposition of metals and alloys allows obtaining conical structures without using any template. This method is fast and ensures covering large areas during one single electrodeposition process. In this work, Co–Fe cones were obtained by one-step method with ammonium chloride as a crystal modifier. The influence of electrodeposition parameters and electrolyte compositions were investigated. Electrodeposition conditions (duration, electrolyte temperature, and addition of NH4Cl), which allow obtaining the most uniform conical structures, were applied during sample fabrication in the magnetic field. The influence of its value and direction on the quality and compositions of obtained alloys was investigated using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) photos. To check if there is any change in the sample crystal system, the X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis was performed. To confirm the synthesis of Co–Fe cones, they were analyzed using the X-ray photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) method.