title: Fabrication of nickel nanocontacts using nanostencils and electron beam assisted SiO2 deposition.
abstract: Nickel nanocontacts for studying ballistic magnetoresistance have been fabricated by sputtering through FIB prepared nanostencil masks and by using electron beam assisted deposition of SiO2 to reduce the size of FIB milled pores through silicon nitride membranes. These two methods are discussed in terms of the nanocontact sizes, fabrication, and yield. The smallest size of the nanocontacts prepared using the nanostencil method was 40 nm and by the filling method was 1-2 nm. The maximum magnetoresistance measured was 1% and no evidence of a large ballistic magnetoresistance was observed.
authors.affiliation: Physics Department, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Langford
authors.forename: T X
authors.initials: TX
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization; D004583:Electrons; D008280:Magnetics; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry*; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry; D017655:Silicon Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D017655:Silicon Compounds; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D009532:Nickel; C032734:silicon nitride; D012825:Silicon