Fabrication and structural analysis of an epitaixal Ni/Cu(001) nanostructure on a Si substrate

An epitaxial Ni(4.5 nm - 100 nm)/Cu nanostructure has been fabricated on a Si(001) substrate by using nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) as a mask during evaporation. Both the nanosized Cu and Ni layers have (001) surfaces with a Ni 〈110 〉 // Cu 〈 110 〉 // Si 〈 001 〉 in-plane relation. The Ni nanostructure is found to be less strained than the film at the same Ni thickness, which plays a crucial role in determining the magnetic anisotropy of the nanostructure. Combining a self-assembled AAO mask with a conventional evaporation method can be a potential technique, instead of traditional lithography, for the growth of various epitaxial metal nanostructures.