Imaging of current in internal conductors through magnetic field detection by magnetic force microscopy (MFM) is of growing interest in the analysis of integrated circuits (ICs). This thesis presents a systematic study of the MFM based mapping of current in model circuits by using force and force gradient techniques. In comparing these two techniques, force was found to have a much higher signal to noise ratio (from ~150 to ~580 times) than force gradient at large tip-sample distances considering the presence of thick overlayers in ICs. As a result, force will have better sensitivity and can therefore be used to detect much smaller minimum currents. We have achieved a sensitivity of ~0.64 µA per square-root Hertz in air and ~0.095 µA per squre-root Hertz in vacuum for force with a pinning field with a probe-circuit separation of 1.0 µm. We conclude that the force technique is superior for the application of MFM current imaging of buried conductors, albeit with reduced spatial resolution. Numerical modeling of the MFM images has shown that the simple point probe approximation is insufficient to model MFM images. An extended model, which considers realistic MFM probe geometries and the forces acting on the whole probe, has been shown to be necessary. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons of the experimental and simulation results with this model are in agreement to within experimental uncertainty. The comparisons suggested that the CoCr film thickness is not uniform on the probe, which was verified by scanning electron microscope cross-section images of the probes cut by a focused ion beam. Most notably, the CoCr film was 1.5 times thicker on the cantilever than on the tip. Based on the simulation and experimental results, we have devised a method to accurately locate the current path from MFM images with submicrometer uncertainty. The method was tested for different patterns of model conducting lines. It was shown to be a useful technique for fault location in IC failure analysis when current flows through the devices buried under overlayers and no topographic features are on the surface to provide clues about the positions of the devices.

Imaging of current in internal conductors through magnetic field detection by magnetic force microscopy (MFM) is of growing interest in the analysis of integrated circuits (ICs). This thesis presents a systematic study of the MFM based mapping of current in model circuits by using force and force gradient techniques. In comparing these two techniques, force was found to have a much higher signal to noise ratio (from ~150 to ~580 times) than force gradient at large tip-sample distances considering the presence of thick overlayers in ICs. As a result, force will have better sensitivity and can therefore be used to detect much smaller minimum currents. We have achieved a sensitivity of ~0.64 µA per square-root Hertz in air and ~0.095 µA per squre-root Hertz in vacuum for force with a pinning field with a probe-circuit separation of 1.0 µm. We conclude that the force technique is superior for the application of MFM current imaging of buried conductors, albeit with reduced spatial resolution. Numerical modeling of the MFM images has shown that the simple point probe approximation is insufficient to model MFM images. An extended model, which considers realistic MFM probe geometries and the forces acting on the whole probe, has been shown to be necessary. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons of the experimental and simulation results with this model are in agreement to within experimental uncertainty. The comparisons suggested that the CoCr film thickness is not uniform on the probe, which was verified by scanning electron microscope cross-section images of the probes cut by a focused ion beam. Most notably, the CoCr film was 1.5 times thicker on the cantilever than on the tip. Based on the simulation and experimental results, we have devised a method to accurately locate the current path from MFM images with submicrometer uncertainty. The method was tested for different patterns of model conducting lines. It was shown to be a useful technique for fault location in IC failure analysis when current flows through the devices buried under overlayers and no topographic features are on the surface to provide clues about the positions of the devices.

Magnetic vortices in ferromagnetic disks are curling magnetization structures characterized by the sense of the spin circulation in the plane of the disk and by the direction of the magnetization in the vortex core. Concepts of memory devices using the magnetic vortices as multibit memory cells have been presented, which brought the high demand for their research in many physical aspects. This work investigates the magnetostatic coupling in pairs of ferromagnetic disks to clarify the influence of nearby disks or other magnetic structures to the vortex nucleation mechanism. To ensure that the vortex nucleation is influenced only by the neighbouring magnetic structures, the randomness of the nucleation process was studied in single disks prior to the work on pairs of disks. We had to ensure that the vortex nucleation is influenced only by the neighbouring magnetic structures and not by an unwanted geometrical asymmetry in the studied disk. Lithographic capabilities were inspected in order to achieve the best possible geometry. Further we present a concept of electrical readout of the spin circulation using the anisotropic magnetoresistance, which allows automated measurements to provide sufficient statistics. To explain the magnetoresistance behaviour, numerical calculations together with magnetic force microscopy measurements are presented.

Granular superconductivity at high temperatures in graphite can emerge at certain two-dimensional (2D) stacking faults (SFs) between regions with twisted (around the c-axis) or untwisted crystalline regions with Bernal (ABA…) and/or rhombohedral (ABCABCA…) stacking order. One way to observe experimentally such 2D superconductivity is to measure the frozen magnetic flux produced by a permanent current loop that remains after removing an external magnetic field applied normal to the SFs. Magnetic force microscopy was used to localize and characterize such a permanent current path found in one natural graphite sample out of ∼50 measured graphite samples of different origins. The position of the current path drifts with time and roughly follows a logarithmic time dependence similar to the one for flux creep in type II superconductors. We demonstrate that a ≃10 nm deep scratch on the sample surface at the position of the current path causes a change in its location. A further scratch was enough to irreversibly destroy the remanent state of the sample at room temperature. Our studies clarify some of the reasons for the difficulties of finding a trapped flux in a remanent state at room temperature in graphite samples with SFs.

No description available.

Iron filled carbon nanotubes (FeCNT) can be described as carbon nanotubes which contain an iron nanowire of several micrometers length and a diameter of approximately 10-100 nm. The carbon shells protect the iron core from oxidation and mechanical damage thus enabling a wide range of applications that require a long-term stability. The magnetic properties of the enclosed nanowire are in part determined by its small size and elongated shape. Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) measurements show that the iron wire exhibits a single domain behavior. Due to the large shape anisotropy it is magnetized along the long wire axis in the remanent state. Two magnetic monopoles of opposing polarity are located at the wire extremities. Depending on the structure and geometry of the individual nanowire, switching fields in the range of 100-400 mT can be found when the external field is applied along the FeCNT’s easy axis. Cantilever magnetometry shows that the switching can be attributed to a thermally assisted magnetization reversal mechanism with the nucleation and propagation of a domain wall. The defined magnetic properties of individual FeCNT combined with their mechanical strength make them ideal candidates for an application as high resolution high stability MFM probes. The fabrication of such probes can be achieved with the help of a micromanipulation setup in a scanning electron microscope. FeCNT MFM probes achieve a sub 25 nm lateral magnetic resolution. MFM measurements with FeCNT MFM probes in external fields show that the magnetization of these probes is exceptionally stable compared to conventional coated MFM probes. This greatly simplifies the data evaluation of such applied field MFM measurements. The emphasis of this work was put on the calibration of FeCNT probes to enable straightforward quantitative MFM measurements. The defined shape of the magnetically active iron nanowire allows an application of a point monopole description. Microscale parallel current carrying lines that produce a defined magnetic field are used as calibration structures to determine the effective magnetic moment of different MFM probes. The line geometry is varied in order to produce multiple magnetic field decay lengths and investigate the influence on the effective probe moment. The results show that while the effective magnetic monopole moment of a conventional MFM probe increases with an increasing sample stray field decay length, the effective moment of a FeCNT MFM probe remains constant. This enables a MFM probe calibration that stays valid for a large variety of magnetic samples. Furthermore, the fitted monopole moment of a FeCNT probe (in the order of 10E-9 Am) is consistent with the moment calculated from the nanowire geometry and the saturation magnetization of iron.

No description available.

Neste trabalho procura-se compreender o comportamento das configurações magnéticas presentes em objetos micrométricos e filmes finos. Estes estudos foram realizados principalmente através de microscopia de força magnética (MFM) e do efeito Kerr magneto-ótico (MOKE). Foi também desenvolvido um procedimento para a obtenção de curvas de histerese a partir de imagens de microscopia MOKE. Para definir o tamanho e a geometria dos objetos empregaram-se as técnicas de litografia por feixe de luz e por feixe de elétrons, e depois para a deposição do material de Co e CoFeSiB amorfo, se fez uso do magnetron sputering. O material assim obtido foi analisado para determinar suas propriedades magnéticas por meio das técnicas do MOKE, magnetrometria de amostra vibrante (VSM), MFM, e microscopia de força atômica (AFM) para o estudo da morfologia dos objetos. Os resultados do MFM e sua interpretação foram apoiados por simulações da estrutura magnética usando o programa Mumax3. Além disso foram analisados as relações entre as propriedades magnéticas e cristalografias de um material de Fe6%Si por médio das imagens MOKE e as imagens de EBSD. As medidas das curvas de histereses por VSM foram feitas em filmes preparados nas mesmas condições dos objetos litografados. Elas mostram que não há eixo anisotropia preferencial, portanto, não apresentam uma direção preferencial de magnetização. Com base nas medidas do MFM se encontrou que os objetos de Co policristalino apresentam configurações de estrutura de domínios magnéticos complexas, diferentes comparativamente do material magneticamente mais mole de CoFeSiB amorfo. Isto se deve as diferenças entre os dois materiais, na anisotropia magnética e magnetostricção. As diferentes geometrias dos objetos estudados apresentaram configurações magnéticas diferentes entre si, fato este, determinado principalmente pela anisotropia de forma. As semelhanças entre objetos da mesma geometria, mas de diferentes materiais mostraram fortes semelhanças, porém com a presença de perturbações locais no caso de Co. O material mole, amorfo, apresenta estados magnéticos ideais e simples, isto é, as tensões mecânicas residuais não geram perturbações magnéticas neste material de baixa magnetostricção. Além disto, nos objetos quadrados a presença de paredes de domínio do tipo cross-tie tem lugar sob certas condições, tendo a espessura do objeto como principal parâmetro. Estes resultados para a parede do tipo cross-tie foram vistos também em simulações micromagnéticas feitas no programa Mumax3. As estruturas magnéticas foram simuladas, com boa similaridade para a amostra de CoFeSiB, mas encontrou-se discordâncias no caso da amostra de Co, estas discordâncias foram analisadas e se estabeleceu as possíveis causas em cada geometria. / In this work the aim is to understand the behavior of the magnetic configurations present in micrometric objects and thin films. This study was developed through the use of magnetic force microscopy (MFM) and magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE). Another development was the use of MOKE microscopy images to obtain hysteresis curves. To define the size and geometry of the objects were used laser beam and electron beam lithography techniques, and for the deposition of Co and amorphous CoFeSiB materials was used magnetron sputtering. The produced samples were analyzed to determine its magnetic properties by MOKE, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), MFM, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) technique for the study of the object morphology. The results of the MFM and its interpretation were supported by simulations of the magnetic structure using the Mumax3 software. The measurements of the hysteresis loops by VSM were made on films produced under the same conditions of the lithographed objects. They show that there was no overall preferential anisotropy on the surface, this shows the absence of anisotropy in the deposition of the grains, in the case of Co, and therefore do not present a preferential direction of magnetization. Based on the MFM measurements, the polycrystalline Co objects were found to have different configurations compared to the amorphous CoFeSiB magnetically soft material. This is due to the differences in magnetic anisotropy and magnetostriction. The different geometries of the studied objects presented different magnetic configurations between them, this fact is determined mainly by the shape anisotropy. The similarities between objects of the same geometry but of different materials showed strong similarities with the presence of local perturbations in the case of Co. The magnetically soft amorphous material presents ideal and simple magnetic states, due to the fact the residual mechanical stresses do not generate disturbances in this low magnetostriction material. By the other side, in the square objects the presence of cross-tie domain walls takes place under certain conditions, where the thickness of the magnetic object is the main parameter. This kind of domain wall is also seen on the micromagnetic simulations developed using the Mumax3 software. The magnetic structures were simulated with good similarity to the amorphous CoFeSiB sample, but disagreements were found in the case of the Co sample. These disagreements were analyzed and the possible causes in each geometry were established.

A sanitização de dados é um dos desafios que está em aberto quando tange a segurança de dados nos discos rígidos. Há duas formas de realizar este procedimento de sanitização de dados nos discos rígidos. A primeira é a utilização de técnicas físicas que visam à destruição do disco rígido por completo. A segunda é a utilização de técnicas lógicas que visam realizar a sanitização dos dados armazenados no disco, permitindo que este seja reutilizado. A proposta principal deste trabalho é a de verificar por meio da técnica de Microscopia de Força Magnética (MFM) a possibilidade de recuperação dos dados originais após o processo de sanitização ter ocorrido por meio de uma técnica lógica. Com este objetivo foram selecionadas oito técnicas lógicas (Gutmann, VSITR, RCMP TSSIP OPS-II, CSEC ITSG-06, DoD 5220.22-M, AR 280-19, GOST R 50739-95 e ISM 6.9.92), após esta seleção foi realizada uma avaliação lógica dessas técnicas com o intuito de selecionar duas técnicas para a avaliação experimental. Para realizar a avaliação experimental foram utilizados dois microscópios (Dimension Icon e o MultiMode 8) para aplicar a técnica de MFM em disco rígido. O objetivo foi comprovar a eficiência das técnicas lógicas na sanitização de dados armazenados nos discos rígidos. / Data sanitization is one of the challenges you face when it comes to data security on hard disk. There are two ways to perform this data sanitization procedure on hard disks. The first one is the deployment of physical techniques aimed at destroying the hard drive altogether. The second one is the use of logical techniques that aim to sanitize the data stored on the disk, allowing it to be used again. The main purpose of this work is to verify through the Magnetic Force Microscopy technique (MFM) the possibility of recovering of the original data after the sanitization process has occurred through of a logical technique. To this purpose, eight logics (Gutmann, VSITR, RCMP TSSIP OPS-II, CSEC ITSG-06, DoD 5220.22-M, AR 280-19, GOST R 50739-95 and ISM 6.9.92) were selected. After this selection, a logical evaluation of these techniques was carried out for selecting two techniques for the experimental evaluation. To perform the experimental evaluation, two microscopes (Dimension Icon and MultiMode 8) were used to apply the MFM technique to the hard disk. The objective was to verify the efficiency of the logical techniques in the sanitization of data stored in the hard disks.

A sanitização de dados é um dos desafios que está em aberto quando tange a segurança de dados nos discos rígidos. Há duas formas de realizar este procedimento de sanitização de dados nos discos rígidos. A primeira é a utilização de técnicas físicas que visam à destruição do disco rígido por completo. A segunda é a utilização de técnicas lógicas que visam realizar a sanitização dos dados armazenados no disco, permitindo que este seja reutilizado. A proposta principal deste trabalho é a de verificar por meio da técnica de Microscopia de Força Magnética (MFM) a possibilidade de recuperação dos dados originais após o processo de sanitização ter ocorrido por meio de uma técnica lógica. Com este objetivo foram selecionadas oito técnicas lógicas (Gutmann, VSITR, RCMP TSSIP OPS-II, CSEC ITSG-06, DoD 5220.22-M, AR 280-19, GOST R 50739-95 e ISM 6.9.92), após esta seleção foi realizada uma avaliação lógica dessas técnicas com o intuito de selecionar duas técnicas para a avaliação experimental. Para realizar a avaliação experimental foram utilizados dois microscópios (Dimension Icon e o MultiMode 8) para aplicar a técnica de MFM em disco rígido. O objetivo foi comprovar a eficiência das técnicas lógicas na sanitização de dados armazenados nos discos rígidos. / Data sanitization is one of the challenges you face when it comes to data security on hard disk. There are two ways to perform this data sanitization procedure on hard disks. The first one is the deployment of physical techniques aimed at destroying the hard drive altogether. The second one is the use of logical techniques that aim to sanitize the data stored on the disk, allowing it to be used again. The main purpose of this work is to verify through the Magnetic Force Microscopy technique (MFM) the possibility of recovering of the original data after the sanitization process has occurred through of a logical technique. To this purpose, eight logics (Gutmann, VSITR, RCMP TSSIP OPS-II, CSEC ITSG-06, DoD 5220.22-M, AR 280-19, GOST R 50739-95 and ISM 6.9.92) were selected. After this selection, a logical evaluation of these techniques was carried out for selecting two techniques for the experimental evaluation. To perform the experimental evaluation, two microscopes (Dimension Icon and MultiMode 8) were used to apply the MFM technique to the hard disk. The objective was to verify the efficiency of the logical techniques in the sanitization of data stored in the hard disks.