Rolled-up magnetic nanomembranes

The combination of strain engineering, lithography, thin film deposition and etching techniques is an elegant approach to create single microtubes and well-defined arrays of magnetic microtubes. In this work we have successfully shown that strain engineering techniques developed for rolled-up nanomembranes can be applied to magnetic materials and material combinations. To obtain sufficiently strained nanomembranes, different substrates and sacrificial layers in combination with the magnetic layers were used. Careful tuning of the etching parameters ensured a controlled roll-up process without damage or oxidation of the magnetic layer. Additionally, rolled-up nanomembranes were further integrated in a highly parallel fashion on chip, by development and application of multi-step fabrication procedures. Based on the prepared rolled-up magnetic structures and their planar counterparts we have performed a comprehensive study of their magnetic properties, mainly under the influence of magnetic field, strain and temperature. The role of the special cylindrical or curved geometry and their impact on the magnetic properties was outlined and explained based on our understanding. Moreover, the magnetic properties were also discussed in relationship to other influencing material parameters, e.g. composition, crystallographic structure, and surface effects. The first experimental magnetization study on rolled-up InGaAs/Fe3Si heterostructures was presented. It was demonstrated for tube arrays that the change in the geometry from a planar film to the cylindrical shape has a significant effect on the magnetization behavior. A deeper study provided insight into the magnetic switching behavior of single tubes and arrays. Rolled-up Au/Co/Au tubes and showed that in addition to shape anisotropy, magnetostrictive anisotropy due to the anisotropic stress release can inverse the magnetization direction. Exchange coupling at ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic interfaces due to partial oxidation of Co was observed at low temperatures. The results suggest possibilities to tune magnetic properties by controlling the tube dimensions and careful control of thin film growth parameters. The cylindrical shape, the layer thickness the number of rotations and the type of magnetic material are proven to have a strong influence on the magnetic domain patterns and magnetization behavior. Therefore, Ni/Fe tubes have been studied by means of magneto optical Kerr effect. It was found that the magnetization reversal in rolled-up tubes with 1.2 and 2.5 windings occurs via nucleation and propagation of magnetic domain walls. On the other hand, we have demonstrated for rolled-up Au/Co tubes that a certain magnetic layer thickness is required to observe magnetic stripe domains. In another experiment performed with magnetic force microscopy, rolled-up Co/Pt nanomembranes with magnetic domains radially aligned due to perpendicular anisotropy, which behaves as radially polarized cylindrical magnets, were achieved. Moreover, we have demonstrated an elegant approach to create compact MR devices based on rolled-up Co/Cu-ML nanomembranes. We have shown the magnetization behavior and the MR magnitude in comparison to the corresponding planar structures. The influence of number of Co/Cu bilayers, non-magnetic spacer layer, interface roughness and multiple windings on MR was discussed. Our fabrication method can be applied to the most common magnetic materials. Certainly, further optimization of MR towards application as magnetic sensor or magneto-fluidic sensors can be achieved by change of Co/Cu-layer thickness, increase of rolling length and reduced spacer layer thickness. Finally, we have shown a fabrication route to realize freestanding tubes based on Ni-Mn-Ga alloys grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs substrates. The evolution of structural and magnetic properties induced by roll-up was investigated in detail and showed a pronounced influence of crystallographic orientation and strain state of the Ni-Mn-Ga alloys. These insights are fundamental in order to realize thin nanomembranes and freestanding three-dimensional FSMA structures with defined composition for smart applications as compact actuators and microsensors. Consequently, rolled-up magnetic nanomembranes offer a great chance in reducing the size of electronic components and can bring several functionalities to the device. These facts make rolled-up tubes highly attractive for the detection, stimulation and manipulation of small objects, such as ions, molecules, cells and particles. It is expected in the future, that magnetic lab-in-a-tube systems will further account in analysis of microfluidic systems. On the other hand, rolled-up structures significantly contribute to the field of shapeable magnetoelectronics