High-quality cobalt nanowires have been grown by focused-electron-beam-induced deposition (FEBID) and their magnetic and transport properties determined. The nanowires contain up to about 95% Co atomic percentage, as measured by EDX spectroscopy, which remarkably represents a high value compared to other metal deposits grown by the same technique. The Co content has been found to correlate with the beam energy used for the growth. The magnetotransport properties have been studied on individual nanowires through 4-probe measurements. For the nanowires with the highest Co content, the resistivity at room temperature is low (~40 µΩcm), and shows metallic temperature dependence. The magnetotransport properties clearly demonstrate the ferromagnetic nature of the nanowire, with a saturation magnetization of M s =1329±20 emu/cm 3 , very close to the bulk one. Due to the local character of this type of growth at targeted places and its high lateral resolution, these results pave the way for the creation of magnetic nanostructures and devices with the full potentiality of high-quality Co.

We review the current status of the use of focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) for the growth of magnetic nanostructures. This technique relies on the local dissociation of a precursor gas by means of an electron beam. The most promising results have been obtained using the Co 2 (CO) 8 precursor, where the Co content in the grown nanodeposited material can be tailored up to more than 95%. Functional behaviour of these Co nanodeposits has been observed in applications such as arrays of magnetic dots for information storage and catalytic growth, magnetic tips for scanning probe microscopes, nano-Hall sensors for bead detection, nano-actuated magnetomechanical systems and nanowires for domain-wall manipulation. The review also covers interesting results observed in Fe-based and alloyed nanodeposits. Advantages and disadvantages of FEBID for the growth of magnetic nanostructures are discussed in the article as well as possible future directions in this field.

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