Nanoscale characterization and magnetic property of NiCoCu/Cu multilayer nanowires

NiCo/Cu multilayer nanowires have been successfully fabricated by a pulse electrodeposition technique using anodic aluminum oxide templates, and their chemistry, crystal structure and magnetic properties characterized at the nanoscale. It was found that each individual nanowire had a regular periodic structure. The NiCo/Cu nanowires also displayed a continuous morphology, smooth surface and polycrystalline fcc structure. EDX elemental mappings confirmed the presence of nickel, cobalt and copper, which appear clearly with a periodic distribution throughout the samples. Both the NiCo and Cu layers were polycrystalline and the average length of the interlayers between NiCo and Cu layers was approximately 3–4 nm. The NiCo/Cu nanowire arrays had an easy axis parallel to the length of wire and exhibited a curling magnetization reversal mechanism. This study highlights the basis morphological, structural and chemical information for NiCoCu/Cu multilayer nanowires, which is critical for their applications in nanodevices and nanoelectronics