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.