Substrate-induced reorientation of the effective anisotropy in cylindrical Co and segmented Co/CoW nanowires

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2025.184336

The development of a multibit three-dimensional magnetic memory utilizing segmented nanowires necessitates the establishment of sufficiently strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy for each memory element to counteract the shape anisotropy inherent in a thin disk. Materials exhibiting significant uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy are suitable for this purpose. Cobalt, characterized by a hexagonal close-packed lattice, emerges as a prime candidate due to the controllability of its magnetocrystalline anisotropy's spatial orientation through the manipulation of crystalline texture via various electrodeposition conditions. Here, we broaden the spectrum of methodologies to manipulate the direction of effective anisotropy, uncovering a robust correlation between the orientation of cobalt's effective magnetic anisotropy and the substrate materials upon which it is deposited. Our results demonstrate that alterations in the composition of the conducting layer and spacer within segmented nanowires enable the modulation of the magnetic properties of individual cobalt segments, thereby allowing for the precise customization of their magnetic characteristics. These findings expand the range of potential applications of nanowires in nanoelectronics.