Iron-based magnetic nanostructures in large area fabricated by glancing angle deposition with magnetron sputtering

Abstract

Glancing angle deposition with magnetron sputtering (MS-GLAD) allows for obtaining nanostructures in large area at RT onto any kind of flat substrates [1-3]. Depending on deposition parameters (such as gas pressure, tilt angle, etc.), several morphologies can be obtained. Recently, we have prepared Ti nanocolumns with antibacterial properties [4] and Au nanopillars exhibiting black metal behavior [5]. In this new work, MS-GLAD has been used to fabricate Fe-based nanostructures. The morphology has been analyzed by SEM and the structural characterization has been performed by X-ray diffraction. It is shown that vertical or tilted nanopillars can be fabricated whether or not substrate rotation is used, respectively. Moreover, nanopillars prepared with higher ratio between ballistic and thermalized atoms have been fabricated with a collimating mask. The magnetic properties of all these nanostructured systems have been studied with SQUID magnetometry and understood with the help of micromagnetic simulations. In summary, this is a sustainable technique to obtain magnetic nanostructures in large area, which can be of interest for several applications (e.g. water remediation).