Formation of FePt nanodots

by wetting of nanohole
substrates
Ahmed M. Abdelgawad, 1 Samuel D. Oberdick, 2 Sara A. Majetich 2.

Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh,

15213, USA
1

Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, 15213, USA

CF-11

Introduction

>550C

Y.Ding, et al. J.Magn. Magn. Mater. 284, 336341 (2004)

A1

Y. Ding and S. A. Majetich, Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 022508

L10

Surfactant-coated particles
CF-11 sinter during anneal to transform
phase

Approach: Fill Large Area Nanohole Arrays

Large-area (~1 cm2) array of (6-18) nm wide and ~10 nm deep

nanoholes separated by ~2 nm gap.

Can we fill nanoholes with magnetic materials?

T. Wen et al., Nano Letters, 2012, 12, 58735878

CF-11

Vary Substrate Surface Energy

A1-FePt

SiOx/SiNx/TiN

The substrate surface energy is

expected to affect wetting
properties of FePt nanodots.

Si
x

Pre-anneal via Rapid

thermal annealing
L10-FePt

SiOx/SiNx/TiN

Si
x

Back etch

SiOx/SiNx/TiN
Six

CF-11

Wetting/dewetting after annealing.

SiO x

SiN x

TiN x

The high surface energy of TiNx (4940 erg/cm2) provides the

surface energy required for wetting at high temp.

CF-11

AGM loops of FePt nanodots on SiOx (capped) vs. TiNx

(uncapped)
SiOx

SiO

TiNx

In spite of poor nucleation of L10 phase in the individual dots, TiNx

promotes L10 phase transformation compared to SiOx.
CF-11

Scanning Probe Characterization of Arrays

AFM shows
the individual
FePt nanodots
in TiNx

MFM does not show magnetic contrast, due to its

limited spatial resolution
CF-11

Preliminary Conductive AFM on FePt dots in TiNx

In the antidot fabrication, we generate a thin layer of a-C on top ot the
TiNx, except where the masking nanoparticles are

After liftoff and etching, there are

holes where the particles were, and
the TiNx is exposed in the holes

After filling with FePt and back

etching, there is a conductive
pathway from the tip through the
FePt to the TiNx

The path from the tip through the aC to the TiNx is less conductive

This was our first try, but it shows the feasibility of doing C-AFM on
dense nanodot arrays to measure magnetoresistance of individual dots
--- more results coming soon!

CF-11