Abstract
We have investigated the domain structure and reversal mechanism in sub-micron sized magnetic elements using Lorentz microscopy in a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Acicular nano-elements were fabricated from thin films of Co and permalloy (NiFe) using electron beam lithography and lift-off techniques. The elements were 200 nm wide, 1.6–2.6 μm long and 20–50 nm thick, with their ends either flat (rectangular) or pointed (triangular). Fresnel and Foucault techniques were used to image the domain structure in the elements in order to measure the switching fields and observe the reversal mechanisms. It was found that the magnetic properties depended strongly on the material, element width and film thickness, and on certain aspects of their shape. In particular the presence of two pointed ends greatly increased the switching field.
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© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Kirk, K.J. et al. (1997). Magnetisation Reversal in Cobalt and Permalloy Nano-Elements. In: Hadjipanayis, G.C. (eds) Magnetic Hysteresis in Novel Magnetic Materials. NATO ASI Series, vol 338. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5478-9_29
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5478-9_29
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-6304-3
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-5478-9
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