We present a detailed study of the interface morphology of an electro-deposited (ED) Ni/Cu bilayer film by using off-specular (diffuse) neutron reflectivity technique and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The Ni/Cu bilayer has been electro-deposited on seed layers of Ti/Cu. These two seed layers were deposited by magnetron sputtering. The depth profile of density in the sample has been obtained from specular neutron reflectivity data. AFM image of the air-film interface shows that the surface is covered by globular islands of different sizes. The AFM height distribution of the surface clearly shows two peaks [Fig. 3] and the relief structure (islands) on the surface in the film can be treated as a quasi-two-level random rough surface structure. We have demonstrated that the detailed morphology of air-film interfaces, the quasi-two level surface structure as well as morphology of the buried interfaces can be obtained from off-specular neutron reflectivity data. We have shown from AFM and off-specular neutron reflectivity data that the morphologies of electro-deposited surface is distinctly different from that of sputter-deposited interface in this sample. To the best of our knowledge this is the first attempt to microscopically quantify the differences in morphologies of metallic interfaces deposited by two different techniques viz. electro-deposition and sputtering.
Segmented magnetic nanowires are a promising route for the development of three dimensional data storage techniques. Such devices require a control of the coercive field and the coupling mechanisms between individual magnetic elements. In our study, we investigate electrodeposited nanomagnets within host templates using vibrating sample magnetometry and observe a strong dependence between nanowire length and coercive field (25 nm to 5 $mu$m) and diameter (25 nm to 45 nm). A transition from a magnetization reversal through coherent rotation to domain wall propagation is observed at an aspect ratio of approximately 2. Our results are further reinforced via micromagnetic simulations and angle dependent hysteresis loops. The found behavior is exploited to create nanowires consisting of a fixed and a free segment in a spin-valve like structure. The wires are released from the membrane and electrically contacted, displaying a giant magnetoresistance effect that is attributed to individual switching of the coupled nanomagnets. We develop a simple analytical model to describe the observed switching phenomena and to predict stable and unstable regimes in coupled nanomagnets of certain geometries.
The electronic properties, exchange interactions, finite-temperature magnetism, and transport properties of random quaternary Heusler Ni$_{2}$MnSn alloys doped with Cu- and Pd-atoms are studied theoretically by means of {it ab initio} calculations over the entire range of dopant concentrations. While the magnetic moments are only weakly dependent on the alloy composition, the Curie temperatures exhibit strongly non-linear behavior with respect to Cu-doping in contrast with an almost linear concentration dependence in the case of Pd-doping. The present parameter-free theory agrees qualitatively and also reasonably well quantitatively with the available experimental results. An analysis of exchange interactions is provided for a deeper understanding of the problem. The dopant atoms perturb electronic structure close to the Fermi energy only weakly and the residual resistivity thus obeys a simple Nordheim rule. The dominating contribution to the temperature-dependent resistivity is due to thermodynamical fluctuations originating from the spin-disorder, which, according to our calculations, can be described successfully via the disordered local moments model. Results based on this model agree fairly well with the measured values of spin-disorder induced resistivity.
We study the growth of the Fe films on GaAs(100) at a low temperature, 140 K, by $in$-$situ$ UHV x-ray reflectivity using synchrotron radiation. We find rough surface with the growth exponent, $beta_S$ = 0.51$pm$0.04. This indicates that the growth of the Fe film proceeds via the restrictive relaxation due to insufficient thermal diffusion of the adatoms. The XRR curves are nicely fit by a model with a uniform Fe film, implying that the surface segregation and interface alloying of both Ga and As are negligible. When the Fe film is annealed to 300 K, however, the corresponding XRR can be fit only after including an additional layer of 9 A thickness between the Fe film and the substrate, indicating the formation of ultrathin alloy near the interface. The confinement of the alloy near the interface derives from the fact that the diffusion of Ga and As from the substrate should proceed via the inefficient bulk diffusion, and hence the overlying Fe film is kinetically stabilized.
We report an interesting magnetic behavior of a Co film (thickness ~ 350 {AA}) grown on Si/Ti/Cu buffer layer by electro-deposition (ED) technique. Using depth sensitive X-ray reflectivity and polarized neutron reflectivity (PNR) we observed two layer structures for the Co film grown by ED with a surface layer (thickness ~ 100 {AA}) of reduced density (~ 68% of bulk) compared to rest of the Co film (thickness ~ 250 {AA}). The two layer structure is consistent with the histogram profile obtained from atomic force microscope (AFM) of the film. Interestingly, using PNR, we found that the magnetization in the surface Co layer is inversely (antiferomagnetically) coupled (negative magnetization for surface Co layer) with the rest of the Co layer for the ED grown film. While we compare PNR result for a Co film of similar layered structure grown by sputtering, the film showed a uniform magnetization as expected. We also show that the depth dependent unusual magnetic behavior of ED grown Co film may be responsible for anomalous anisotropic magnetoresistance observed in low field in this film as compared to the Co film grown by sputtering. Combining X-ray scattering, AFM, superconducting quantum interface device magnetometry (SQUID), PNR and magneto-transport measurements we attempted to correlate and compare the structural, magnetic and morphological properties with magneto-transport of Co films grown by ED and sputtering. The study indicates that the interesting surface magnetic property and magneto-transport property of the ED film is caused by its unique surface morphology.
In this paper, we present a concept to fabricate copper based Ti2AlC MAX phase composite focusing on the processing method and the reaction which takes place at the matrix-reinforcement interface to yield 2D TiCx. Copper was reinforced with Ti2AlC (agglomerate size ~40 micron) phase and sintered in vacuum by pressure-less sintering. The interface of consolidated samples was investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to reveal the microstructural details. In the due course of consolidation of Cu-Ti2AlC; the formation of 2D TiCx from the reaction between Cu and Ti2AlC by forming solid solution between Cu and Al was facilitated. The reaction between Cu and Ti2AlC has been elaborated and analyzed in the light of corroborated results. Wavelength dispersive spectroscopy (WDS) throws light on the elemental distribution at the site of interfacial reaction. This investigation elaborates a proof of concept to process an in-situ 2D TiCx reinforced Cu metal matrix composite (MMC).
Surendra Singh
,Saibal Basu
,S. K. Ghosh
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(2008)
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"Diffuse neutron reflectivity and AFM study of interface morphology of an electro-deposited Ni/Cu film"
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Surendra Singh
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