Title :
Focused ion beam milled CoPt magnetic force microscopy tips for high resolution domain images
Author :
Gao, L. ; Yue, L.P. ; Yokota, T. ; Skomski, R. ; Liou, S.H. ; Takahoshi, H. ; Saito, H. ; Ishio, S.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Phys. & Astron., Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA
fDate :
7/1/2004 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
High-coercivity CoPt magnetic force microscope tips have been modified by focused ion beam milling to improve the resolution of magnetic domain images. The magnetic materials around the apex have been removed, leaving a 30-nm diameter magnetic particle at the tip end. Due to the smaller amount of magnetic material, the stray field from this new tip is significantly reduced, and the spatial resolution of the magnetic domain images is improved. The tip is used to obtain high-resolution domain images of a CoCrPt-SiO2/Ru perpendicular recording medium with linear recording densities from 800 to 1000 kfci. Magnetic patterns of 900 kfci, corresponding to a bit size of 28 nm, are well resolved. From the analysis of the power spectrum of the track profiles for these images, a spatial resolution as good as 11 nm under ambient conditions with a commercial magnetic force microscope is achieved.
Keywords :
cobalt alloys; focused ion beam technology; magnetic force microscopy; magnetic materials; perpendicular magnetic recording; platinum alloys; 11 nm; 28 nm; 30 nm; CoPt; CoPt magnetic force microscopy; focused ion beam milling; high resolution domain images; high-coercivity magnetic force microscope tips; linear recording; magnetic domain images; magnetic material; magnetic materials; magnetic particle; magnetic patterns; magnetic recording; perpendicular recording medium; power spectrum; spatial resolution; stray field; track profiles; Focusing; Image resolution; Ion beams; Magnetic domains; Magnetic force microscopy; Magnetic forces; Magnetic materials; Milling; Perpendicular magnetic recording; Spatial resolution; Domain images; focused ion beam technology; magnetic force microscopy; magnetic recording;
Journal_Title :
Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on
DOI :
10.1109/TMAG.2004.829173