Electrochemical surface modification of aluminium sheets for application to nano-electronic devices: Anodization aluminium and electrodeposition of cobalt-copper

A nano-porous anodized aluminium oxide layer was synthesized on the surface of bulk aluminium at a wide range of anodization voltages. The barrier layer at the pore bottom of anodized aluminium oxide layer was chemically etched to make good electrical contact for nanowires electrodeposited in the pores thus formed on metallic aluminium substrates. Cathodic polarization was examined at a wide range of cathode potentials to investigate the electrodeposition behaviour of Cu and Co into the pores. Co81Cu19/Cu multilayered nanowires were fabricated using a pulse-plating technique into the templates. Co-alloy layer and Cu layer thicknesses were adjusted to 10 nm, by controlling the deposition times. The temperature dependence of the resistance of Co81Cu19/Cu multilayered nanowires grown on the template presented clean metallic characteristics and a giant magnetoresistance (GMR) of 23% was reached at 4 K.