MFM study of magnetic dot patterns of different dimensions

Abstract

In this paper, we present a magnetic force microscopy (MFM) study of the magnetic dot patterns of different dimensions and spacings. The magnetic dot arrays were obtained using a focused-ion-beam etching technique on a commercial postsputtering longitudinal recording disk media. The "transitions" were created by the discontinuity of magnetization at the edges of each dot. The MFM observation was employed to study the magnetic property of each dot and the dipulse of two transitions created at the edges of two adjacent dots versus different dot spacings. The single domain structures were formed spontaneously as the dot dimension was reduced to 200 nm or less. The dipulse was still observed as the spacing between the dots is reduced to around 10 nm.