Paper-based magnetics: matching paper with permalloy

Paper-based devices enable low-cost mass production, wide availability and useful technical aspects such as light weight, mechanical bendability and natural integration in existing paper-based creations such as educational books, administrative documentation and artwork. While magneto-electronics and spintronics play an important role in delivering sensing, communication and data storage solutions, especially necessary in the framework of the internet of things, it is beneficial to achieve compatibility between this technology and paper materials. As a first example of paper-based magneto-electronics, we investigate the manufacturing of well performing anisotropic magneto-resistors on paper by means of low power sputter deposition of permalloy , shadow mask patterning and magnetic clamping of the shadow mask. A range of commercially available papers were studied by varying most significant mechanical, chemical and geometrical attributes of the paper to this application. The dependence of magnetic properties (coercivity, saturation remanence and relative permeability) on the paper properties (surface roughness, stiffness and paper making process) was studied based on magnetic characterization, surface profilometry and elemental analysis. Subsequently, conclusions on the optimal magnetic -on-paper system were drawn.