Title: Fabrication of Co nanostructures in carbon films

Authors: Jiechao C. Jiang, Xueyuan Nie, Efstathios I. Meletis

Addresses: Materials Science and Engineering Department, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, USA. ' Department of Mechanical, Automotive and Materials Engineering, University of Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada. ' Materials Science and Engineering Department, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, USA

Abstract: Co nanostructures in carbon films synthesised by dual electron beam evaporation were studied by TEM and XPS. Thin films with low Co-content (∼9 at.%) are mainly amorphous with the Co atoms dispersed in the C matrix forming an atomic scale nanocomposite. The films with intermediate Co-content (29–63 at.%) are composed of a Co nanoparticles embedded in the amorphous carbon-rich matrix. Thin films with high Co-content (79 at.%) consist of sandwiched Co₂C and α-Co nanoparticles that are embedded in an amorphous Co-rich matrix. The microstructure development of the nanostructures as a function of the Co-content is presented.

Keywords: Co nanostructures; carbon films; transmission electron microscopy; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; TEM; XPS; microstructure; cobalt; manomanufacturing; nanotechnology; atomic scale nanocomposites; Co nanoparticles.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNM.2008.017835

International Journal of Nanomanufacturing, 2008 Vol.2 No.1/2, pp.16 - 28

Published online: 19 Apr 2008 *

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