AVS 62nd International Symposium & Exhibition
    Helium Ion Microscopy Focus Topic Wednesday Sessions
       Session HI-WeA

Paper HI-WeA8
Creating and Imaging Nanosized Magnets using HIM and TEM Holography

Wednesday, October 21, 2015, 4:40 pm, Room 210F

Session: GFIS Based Nanostructuring
Presenter: Gregor Hlawacek, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, Germany
Authors: G. Hlawacek, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, Germany
F. Röder, TU Dresden
R. Bali, Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf
S. Wintz, Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf
R. Hübner, Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf
L. Bischoff, Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf
H. Lichte, TU Dresden
K. Potzger, Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf
J. Lindner, Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf
J. Fassbender, Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf
Correspondent: Click to Email
Besides imaging, gas field ion source (GFIS) based microscopes [1] are used for materials modification. This usually is based on the use of high fluence to either mill the sample material or implant Nobel gas ions into the target

material [2].

Here, we present a novel route utilizing a Helium Ion Microscope (HIM) to form nano-sized magnets of arbitrary shape using very low fluences (6x1014 cm-2) of 20 keV-25 keV Neon ions. The fine Neon beam available in the HIM is used to locally switch 40 nm thin Fe60Al40 films from the well ordered paramagnetic B2 structure into the ferromagnetic A2 structure [3,4]. Planar structures potentially useful for applications such as spin valves or other spin--transport devices have been formed this way. Kerr Microscopy and off-axis TEM holography has been used to analyse the resulting magnetic nano-structures. Results on the energy depended depth of magnetization as well as on the lateral definition of the magnetic structures due to scattering are presented.

FR and HL gratefully acknowledge funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreement 312483 - ESTEEM2 (Integrated Infrastructure Initiative - I3).

1. Hlawacek, G., Veligura, V., van Gastel, R. & Poelsema, B. Helium ion microscopy. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B Microelectron. Nanom. Struct. 32, 020801 (2014).

2. Veligura, V. et al. Digging gold: keV He+ ion interaction with Au. Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 4, 453–460 (2013).

3. Bali, R. et al. Printing nearly-discrete magnetic patterns using chemical disorder induced ferromagnetism. Nano Lett. 14, 435–41 (2014).

4. F. Röder, et al. Direct Depth- and Lateral- Imaging of Nanoscale Magnets Generated by Ion Impact, submitted (2015).