Measurement and Analysis of Magnetic Domain Properties of High-Density Patterned Media by Magnetic Force Microscopy

In this research, the effect of lift height of magnetic force microscopy (MFM) tip on the resolution of the magnetic force microscopy images of the magnetic pillar patterns, having diameter of 50 nm, pitch of 100 nm, and height of 35 nm was analyzed experimentally. A patterned substrate for patterned magnetic media was fabricated by an UV nanoimprinting process with a silicon nanostamp. The silicon nanostamp was fabricated by electron-beam lithography and inductively coupled plasma etching process. We deposited magnetic layers on the nanoimprinted pillar patterns to make the perpendicular patterned magnetic media with isolated magnetic domains. The magneto-optic Kerr effect analysis was carried out to evaluate the magnetic properties of the deposited magnetic layer. To analyze the effect of lift height of MFM tip on the resolution of the MFM images of the isolated nano scale magnetic domains, MFM measurement was carried out with various MFM tip lift heights. Finally, the optimum lift height of the MFM tip was obtained as 35 nm for higher resolution of MFM images of the isolated magnetic domains.