Materials characterization using magnetic force microscopy

Abstract

The forward and inverse analyses of MFM images were performed to develop materials characterization technique using magnetic force microscopy. By the forward analysis of artificial magnetic recording media, the MFM images become focused with decreasing lift off height until 30 nm, both in a point dipole magnetic tip and in a finite size (50 nm) magnetic tip. However, in the case of the finite size magnetic tip, MFM images become degraded and especially duplicated at magnetic phase boundaries below 30 nm lift off height. By the inverse analysis of artificial magnetic recording media, the original magnetic charge was fully reconstructed using deconvolution and inverse Fourier transform techniques. By applying this technique to the experimental MFM image for ferromagnetic shape memory alloy, clear and noiseless martensite of variant structure was obtained from the MFM image.