Characterization of iron nanoparticles synthesized by high pressure sputtering

The study of magnetic nanoparticles is interesting because of their importance and applications in spintronics, biology, and medicine. We have used a high pressure sputtering technique to deposit iron narroparticles on a silicon substrate. The nanoparticles are then analyzed using atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. AFM data show that the size of the particles depends on different deposition conditions. X-ray diffraction data show that the nanoparticles adopt a body-centered cubic crystal structure. Overall it was found particle size could be tuned by adjusting the deposition conditions. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.