Self organization of magnetic nanoparticles: A polarized grazing incidence small angle neutron scattering and grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering study

Abstract

Cobalt and magnetite nanoparticles were studied with small-angle x-ray and neutron scattering methods under grazing incidence for analyzing their structural and magnetic correlation on silicon substrates. The Co nanoparticles are in the ferromagnetic state while the iron oxide nanoparticles are superparamagnetic at room temperature. After spin-coating the iron oxide particles with a diameter of 20 nm and a very narrow size distribution of only 6% show very nice self-ordering on silicon substrates with nearly perfect six-fold symmetry as can be derived from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and from grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering results. In contrast the dropcasted cobalt nanoparticles show a much higher roughness and less ordering. The corresponding SEM images and grazing incidence small angle neutron scattering maps with polarization of the incident beam reveal less pronounced structural and magnetic correlation.