Flash co-evaporation as a vapor quenching method for the deposition of ferromagnetic–non-magnetic granular metal-matrix nanocomposite films.

An FM-NM film (FM - ferromagnetic metals: Fe, Ni, Co; NM - conductive metals: Al, Cu, Ag, Au, etc.) is a type of magnetic nanogranular material with properties of metal-matrix nanocomposite or metastable crystalline alloys material systems. It is believed possible to deposit these films using vapor quenching techniques, for which flash evaporations are included. This study aims to find whether approaches and practices of the flash co-evaporation (FcoE) technique for creating magnetic nanogranular thin films are possible and realistic. This work introduces some technical basis, the thermodynamics of evaporation of related materials for the establishment of the FcoE technique, and some structural and magnetic properties of the FcoE deposited Co-NM films (NM = Ag, Al, Cu). The FcoE technique seems less applicable to such thin films so far. So, this technique is expected to contribute to the enrichment of deposition techniques for nanostructured material systems. Since then, a nanogranular film technology based on the FcoE technique applied to the FM-NM-type immiscible metal alloys, whose constituents are not thermodynamically identical, has been preliminarily set up. This technique is expected to provide another simple and efficient way to generate magnetic nanogranular or metal-matrix nanocomposite materials for research in nanoelectronics and spintronics. [Display omitted] • FcoE is a flash-style protocol for the simultaneous evaporation of different solids. • XRD, TEM, SEM confirm Co-NM films as two-phase heterostructures in an NP morphology. • SPM, GMR data are valid additional demonstrations for the presence of Co NPs/clusters. • Co NPs/clusters of the Co-NM films deposited by FcoE reach no more than 10 nm in size. • Co–Ag(Cu, Al) films are typically a metastable alloy or a magnetic MMNC category. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]