AVS 46th International Symposium
    Magnetic Interfaces and Nanostructures Technical Group Thursday Sessions
       Session MI+NS-ThA

Paper MI+NS-ThA8
Magnetic and Chemical Microanalysis Using SEMPA and SAM

Thursday, October 28, 1999, 4:20 pm, Room 618/619

Session: Magnetic Imaging
Presenter: G. Steierl, Max-Planck-Institut für Mikrostrukturphysik, Germany
Authors: G. Steierl, Max-Planck-Institut für Mikrostrukturphysik, Germany
W. Lutzke, Max-Planck-Institut für Mikrostrukturphysik, Germany
H.P. Oepen, Max-Planck-Institut für Mikrostrukturphysik, Germany
J. Kirschner, Max-Planck-Institut für Mikrostrukturphysik, Germany
Correspondent: Click to Email
Industrial demands led to an enormous interest in micromagnetic analysis tools that can be applied to a wide range of samples including lithographically produced samples with complex chemical compositions. To meet these requirements a new instrument was designed that combines Scanning Auger Microscopy (SAM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy with Polarization Analysis (SEMPA). The core elements are a Schottky thermal field emitter electron gun with coaxial cylindrical mirror analyzer (PHI-SAN 670), a retractable electron-lens system and a spin detector based on Spin Polarized Low Energy Electron Diffraction (SPLEED). The characteristics of these core elements are described and the performance of the entire system is demonstrated by high-resolution chemical and magnetic analysis of Ni@sub 80@Fe@sub 20@- and Co elements. The microstructures of 50nm thickness were produced by using electron beam lithography and lift-off. Oxidized Si(111)-wafers were used as substrate material with an oxide layer thickness ranging from about 10nm (natural oxide layer) to 1200nm (thermally oxidized). It is demonstrated that the electrical insulation of the microstructures due to the oxide-layer does not impede high resolution domain microscopy, if suitable surface preparation techniques are used. Several details of the domain patterns encountered in microstructures of different geometry (squares, rectangles, disks) and of lateral length ranging from 500nm to 10 µm are reported.