Ion beam synthesis of Fe nanoparticles in MgO and Y:ZrO2

In order to prepare epitaxially oriented Fe nanoparticles near the surface of a single crystalline host material the method of ion beam synthesis has been explored. Two different host matrices, i. e., MgO(001) and Y:ZrO2(001), were employed to study the influence of the lattice misfit, the solubility and the host oxidizing/reducing properties on the formation of the Fe nanoparticles. The Fe ions were implanted at a primary energy of 100 – 110 keV (mean projected range: 50 nm) with a constant fluence of 6x1016 cm-2 at implantation temperatures varying between 25 °C and 1000°C. Structural and magnetic characterization was performed by means of CEMS (conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy), XRD (X-ray diffraction), RBS (Rutherford back scattering), TEM (transmission electron microscopy) and MOKE (magneto-optical Kerr effect).
For MgO substrates the fraction of metallic Fe increases from 28% (25°C) to 60% (800°C) as a function of implantation temperature, whilst the Fe depth profile remains the same. For an implantation temperature of 800°C fcc Fe nanoparticles with a mean diameter of 5 nm and an exclusive orientation relationship of -Fe(111)//MgO(111) and -Fe[220]//MgO[220] have been found. However, for an implantation temperature of 1000°C, the amount of Fe incorporated in the calculated depth profile is strongly reduced due to an enhanced mobility and diffusion of the Fe ions in the matrix material. The remaining Fe is found to be in the 3+ oxidation state.
Also in Y:ZrO2 the fraction of metallic Fe increases with increasing implantation temperature reaching 96% at 1000 °C. However, the nanoparticles formed are mainly bcc with a mean diameter of 13 nm. The dominant epitaxial relation is Fe(110)//Y:ZrO2(001) and Fe[001]//Y:ZrO2[100]. The ferromagnetic behavior is reflected by a magnetic hyperfine field of 330 kOe and a hysteretic magnetization reversal. No in-plane anisotropy could be detected.