High-Coercivity Fe-Co Nanoparticles Prepared by Pulsed Arc Plasma Deposition

Abstract

Fe-Co nanoparticles were prepared on SiO₂ nanoparticles by a pulsed arc plasma deposition (APD) method and the influence of discharge count during APD on the microstructure and magnetic properties of the nanoparticles was investigated. When the discharge count was 300 shots, the average particle size (d₅₀) of Fe-Co was 3.7 nm and an unusually high coercivity (H_c) of 300 kA·m⁻¹ was obtained. The average particle size increased and the coercivity decreased with increasing discharge count. Fe-Co nanoparticles deposited on C nanoparticles using a discharge count of 300 shots exhibited a lower coercivity than that of Fe-Co nanoparticles deposited on SiO₂ nanoparticles.