Phase composition and growth mechanisms of half-metal Heusler alloy produced by Pulsed Laser Deposition: From core-shell nanoparticles to amorphous randomic clusters

• Published in: Materials chemistry and physics Vol. 196; pp. 103 - 108
• Main Authors: Checca, N.R., Caraballo-Vivas, R.J., Torrão, R., Rossi, A., Reis, M.S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 01-08-2017; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Core-shell particles; Electron microscopy; Half-metal; Heusler alloys; High resolution; Lasers; Metals; Nanoparticles; Phase composition; Pulsed laser deposition; Pulsed Laser Deposition-PLD; Spintronics; Studies; Transmission electron microscopy; Nanoparticles; Heusler alloys; Pulsed Laser Deposition-PLD; Half-metal; Spintronics
• ISSN: 0254-0584; 1879-3312
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matchemphys.2017.04.037

We report on a systematic study of the experimental parameters to control size and morphology of half-metals Heusler nanoparticles synthesized by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. Our findings suggest the existence of a threshold across which the mechanism of particle growth changes: core-shell NPs for higher values of laser energy and randomic amorphous structure for lower values of laser energy. The growth mechanisms are discussed in deep based on the high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) results; and a phase diagram was developed to summarize our findings.
•Complete description of the growth mechanisms of Fe2MnSi Heusler alloys nanoparticles.•Pulsed laser deposition technique with different laser energy per pulse were used.•We found core-shell NPs with an atomically ordered nucleus and an amorphous shell.