Magnetic coupling in Co/Pt multilayers studied by soft X-ray resonant magnetic scattering

Arrays of silicon lines covered by a [Co/sub 5/ /spl Aring//Pt/sub 18/ /spl Aring/] multilayer have been studied by soft X-ray Resonant Magnetic Scattering (XRMS). The magnetic peaks, which appear at the Co L/sub 3/ resonance, reveal the magnetic periodicity in the array, resulting from the magnetic coupling between the top of the lines, with a varying degree of influence from the trenches. In agreement with MFM images, the evolution of the magnetic peak intensities shows that small interline spacings and deep trenches favor antiferromagnetic order, which can be further reinforced by a specific demagnetization process.