Cobalt magnetic thin films

The success of this class of experiment has led to much interest in novel types of magnetic semiconductor, and the most interesting recent discovery in this domain is that zinc oxide is such a candidate when doped with small percentages of such metals as cobalt, iron and manganese. It displays a rich phase diagram whose details have yet to be fully explored and its very major attraction is the ease with which it may be made in thin film form and this procedure integrated into device fabrication routines. 

Thin films of cobalt can be prepared by nebulized spray pyrolysis using Co(acac)2 as precursor in a hydrogen atmosphere. The obtained films show brilliant metallic and magnetic properties. Granular, magnetoresistant cobalt-copper alloys of composition CoigCu82 and C050CU50 are accessible from Co(acac)2 and Cu(acac)2 mixtures under similar reaction conditions. ... 

Marin IVL, Ortuno M, Hernandez A, Abelian J (1990) Peicolative treatment of the Verwey transition in cobalt-iron and nickel-iron ferrites. Physica Status Solidi (B) 157 275-280 McElhiimy MW, McFadden PL (1999) Paleomagnetism. Academic Press, New York McVitie S, Chapman JN (1995) Coherent Lorentz imaging of soft thin-film magnetic materials. Mater Res Soc Bull, October 1995 55-58... 

FIGURE 1 Change of the normalized electrical resistance (GMR effect) as a function of the magnetic field for a granular thin film of silver/cobalt prepared by molecular beam epitaxy. SOURCE Alof, 2000. 

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