Fabrication of metallic nanowire arrays by electrodeposition into nanoporous alumina membranes: effect of barrier layer

Deposition into nanoporous alumina membranes is widely used for nanowire fabrication. Herein using AC electrodeposition ternary Fe–Co–Ni nanowires are fabricated within the nanoscale-pores of alumina membranes. Using an electrodeposition frequency of 1,000 Hz, 15 V_rms, consistently and repeatably yield nanowire arrays over membranes several cm² in extent. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) is used to explain the effects of AC electrodeposition frequency. The impedance of the residual alumina barrier layer, separating the underlying aluminum metal and the nanoporous membrane, decreases drastically with electrodeposition frequency facilitating uniform pore-filling of samples several cm² in area. Anodic polarization studies on thin films having alloy compositions identical to the nanowires display excellent corrosion resistance properties.