Title: Synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles by low-energy dual ion implantation of iron and nickel into silicon dioxide followed by electron beam annealing

Authors: Tushara Prakash; Grant Williams; John Kennedy

Addresses: The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, SCPS, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand; National Isotope Centre, GNS Science, 30 Gracefield Road, P.O. Box 31312, Lower Hutt, 5010, New Zealand ' The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, SCPS, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand ' National Isotope Centre, GNS Science, 30 Gracefield Road, P.O. Box 31312, Lower Hutt 5010, New Zealand; The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, SCPS, P.O. Box 600, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand

Abstract: Magnetic nanoparticles have been made by low-energy dual ion implantation of iron and nickel into SiO2 with a nickel fluence ratio of 82% followed by electron beam annealing for 1800 s at 1000°C. After annealing, there is significant diffusion of iron and nickel into the silicon dioxide layer. Annealing also led to the formation of superparamagnetic nanoparticles with a narrow particle size distribution. The saturation moment at 5 K was 0.7 µB and a similar value was observed at 300 K, which indicates that the Curie temperature is far above room temperature. This moment is lower than that expected for Ni0.82Fe0.18. While the results clearly show the formation of superparamagnetic nanoparticles, it is not possible to determine whether nickel-iron, iron or nickel has formed.

Keywords: ion implantation; magnetic nanoparticles; superparamagnetism; permalloys; magnetisation; Rutherford backscattering; nanotechnology; iron; nickel; silicon dioxide; SiO2; electron beam annealing; particle size distribution.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2017.082455

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2017 Vol.14 No.1/2/3/4/5/6, pp.348 - 355

Published online: 24 Feb 2017 *

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