Fabrication of Ni nanoparticles by selective oxidation of permalloy thin film during imidization of polyamic acid

Ni nanoparticles embedded in a polyimide (PI) matrix were fabricated by selectively oxidizing a layer of Ni(80)Fe(20) metal film sandwiched between two PI precursor layers. Ni nanoparticles, formed in a monolayer between two PI layers, had an average particle size of approximately 5 nm. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed that Fe in the film was preferentially consumed, resulting in the formation of Ni nanoparticles.