EUNITT: European network on ion track technology

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 99.0141

Key words (English)

Ion track etching; nanostructures; magnetoresistance;
Education; Training; Scientific Research; Social Aspects

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: HPRN-2000-00047

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 5. Frame Research Programme - 4.1.1 Research training networks

Short description (English)

See abstract

Further information (English)

Full name of research-institution/enterprise:
EPF Lausanne
Institut de Physique des Nanostructures

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Coordinator: Universität Uppsala (S)

Abstract (English)

At that stage of the EuNITT project, the different steps of the work plan have been fulfilled. The main results are describe here below, concerning the tasks T3.2 to T3.4. Here we do exploit the anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) feature of homogenous ferromagnetic nanowire as magnetic sensor, since it is that electrodeposition of homogenous materials is easy and AMR is sensitive to the orientation of the applied field.We focused on PolyImide (PI) membranes since this kind of organic membrane is commonly used in integrated electronics.
Ni and Co have been both successfully electrodeposited, but we performed our test with Ni only, which gets higher MR ratio (-1%). We have also considered multilayers because they present the so-called giant magnetoresistance (GMR). The GMR is commonly observed in multilayered nanostructures where ferromagnetic layers are sandwiched by nonmagnetic metal layers, both kind around 10nm thick when the current is forced to flow perpendicular to the interface, which is the case in our nanowires. The key feature of the GMR is a higher GMR ratio (10-20%). The drawback is the lack directionality.

We discovered a very large magnetoresistance when we filled the pores with a composite formed of graphite-encapsulated Co nanoparticles imbedded in a Co matrix. This study is of fundamental character only at this point. Applicability has yet to be assessed.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 99.0141