Composite state control and magnetic properties of Co and Si cluster assemblies prepared with double-glow-discharge sources

Using a double-glow-discharge-cluster-source system, in which one glow discharge was a dc mode and the other an rf discharge mode, Co and Si clusters were independently produced and simultaneously deposited on a substrate. When a separation plate was inserted between two glow-discharge chambers, a mixture of Co and Si clusters was obtained: small Co clusters were distributed at random, while the Si clusters were aggregated to form large secondary particles. Without inserting the separation plate, on the other hand, core-shell clusters were obtained: a Co core was surrounded by small Si crystallites. The magnetization measurement indicated that the magnetic coercive force of Co/Si core-shell cluster assemblies was much smaller than that of Co cluster assemblies in which Co clusters were covered with antiferromagnetic CoO shells, indicating that the Si shell prevented Co cluster surfaces from their oxidation. Therefore, the present double-cluster-source system is useful in fabricating various sorts of cluster composites, which cannot be prepared by conventional coevaporation or precipitation methods