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High-performance permanent magnets for energy-related electron microscopy and x-ray diffractometry 共XRD兲, and
applications require a large energy product (BH) max . A per- the magnetic properties were measured by a superconducting
manent magnet with a large (BH) max value should exhibit quantum interference device magnetometer. As-synthesized
both high remanent magnetization M r and large coercivity particles possess a disordered fcc structure, which are super-
H c . Both parameters are determined not only by intrinsic paramagnetic at room temperature due to small sizes and low
properties such as the magnetocrystalline anisotropy K u and anisotropy. Thermal annealing results in a phase transforma-
saturation magnetization M s , but also by structural param- tion from the disordered fcc to ordered fct structure above
eters such as grain sizes and alignment of the granular ma- 500 °C.6 All samples were annealed at temperatures between
terials. Tremendous effort has been devoted in the last cen- 500 and 800 °C for 1 h, in a flow of gas mixture of Ar
tury to improving magnetic properties of permanent ⫹H2 共5%兲. No preferential orientation of the particles is ob-
magnets,1 however, it is recently realized that nanostructured served from either XRD or electron diffractions. Previous
magnetic materials have the potential for a very high energy works have indicated that for FePt with various compositions
product.2,3 Fe54-58Pt46-42 shows the largest coercivities after annealing.7
L1 0 -ordered FePt alloys have high M s 共⬃1100 Here, we specifically choose Fe-rich Fe58Pt42 , which may
emu/cm3兲 and large K u (⬎5⫻107 erg/cm3 ) and, therefore, yield both large H c and high magnetization.
are attractive as permanent magnetic materials. In the past Annealing at higher temperatures leads to the
decades, the hard-magnetic properties of FePt alloys have evaporation/decomposition of the organic surfactant around
been studied extensively,4,5 however, little has been done on each particle and the decrease of interparticle distances. Tun-
nanostructured FePt systems. Recent progress in the synthe- ing of the interparticle distances is realized by carefully con-
sis of FePt nanoparticles6 makes it possible to utilize nano- trolling the self-assembly and annealing conditions, in an
structured FePt for potential permanent magnet applications, attempt to optimize the nanostructures for high (BH) max . In
situ transmission electron microscopy 共TEM兲 studies on the
because chemical methods have the advantages of highly
annealed nanoparticles show no significant aggregation at
controllable particle sizes and morphologies. Here, we report
annealing temperatures T a below 600 °C.8 As seen from Fig.
detailed magnetic studies on FePt nanoparticle assemblies
1共a兲, for a sample annealed at 530 °C, neither the interpar-
produced by solution-phase synthesis and self-assembly, fol-
ticle distances nor the ordering shows much change com-
lowed by thermal treatment. We find that the thermal treat-
pared to as-deposited samples. At 600 °C or slightly above,
ment controls not only the formation of the high anisotropy
particles start to aggregate 关Fig. 1共b兲兴. However, detailed
L 10 FePt phase but also the interparticle exchange of the
high-resolution TEM 共HRTEM兲 studies 关see the inset of Fig.
nanoparticles.
1共b兲兴 show that the coalesced particles do not form single-
The high-temperature solution phase decomposition of
crystal agglomerates; instead, two originally separated par-
Fe(CO) 5 and reduction of Pt(acac) 2 produces monodis-
ticles form a twin structure with the grain boundaries being
persed FePt nanoparticles with the composition controlled by easily visible. There is no evidence of carbon residue present
the molar ratio of Fe(CO) 5 and Pt(acac) 2 . 6,7 Deposition of at the grain boundaries, as opposed to previous results on
nanoparticle dispersion on a solid substrate and controlling samples annealed at low temperatures under N2 . 6 It is ex-
solvent evaporation lead to FePt nanoparticle assemblies. pected that even higher temperatures will eventually lead to
The structural properties were characterized by transmission significant agglomerations and the formation of continuous
films.
a兲
Electronic mail: haozeng@us.ibm.com Chemically ordered fct FePt nanoparticles may show
FIG. 3. ␦ M curves for samples annealed at 550, 600, and 700 °C, respec-
tively.