Magnetic nanodot arrays produced by direct laser interference lithography

Authors

M. Zheng, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
M. Yu, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Yi Liu, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Ralph Skomski, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Sy_Hwang Liou, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
David J. Sellmyer, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
V.N. Petryakov, Institute of Applied Physics of RAS, 603600 Nizhni Novgorod, Russia
Yu K. Verevkin, Institute of Applied Physics of RAS, 603600 Nizhni Novgorod, Russia
N.I. Polushkin, Institute for Physics of Microstructures of RAS, 603600 GSP-105 Nizhni Novgorod, Russia
N. N. Salashchenko, Institute for Physics of Microstructures of RAS, 603600 GSP-105 Nizhni Novgorod, Russia

Date of this Version

10-15-2001

Comments

Published by American Institute of Physics. Appl. Phys. Lett., 79, 2606 (2001). ©2001 American Institute of Physics. Permission to use. http://jap.aip.org/jap/.

Abstract

Periodic magnetic nanodot arrays have been produced on an area as large as 1 cm×1 cm by direct nanolithography using interferometric laser radiation. The dots are formed by the local annealing of sputtered amorphous Co–C films in regions where the laser intensity is highest. At room temperature the dots exhibit ferromagnetic order and are embedded in a paramagnetic matrix. The onset of room-temperature ferromagnetism is caused by nanoscale chemical and morphological changes during dot formation and reflects the phase separation of magnetic Co-rich clusters. The present single-step nanolithography is potentially an efficient method for fabrication of patterned magnetic arrays.