Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) is a widely-used technique for measuring the local magnetic properties of a variety of materials. This method covers a large fi eld of applications ranging from fundamental research of micro-magnetic phenomena to industrial applications in the development of magnetic recording components.
The image formation in MFM measurements is based on the magneto-static interaction of a sharp magnetic tip with the probed sample. Despite the fact that MFM is quite easy to perform, image interpretation remains challenging. This is due to the accurate characterization of the probing tip that is needed for a quantitative interpretation of the MFM data in terms of the local magnetic properties of the sample.
This thesis examines the fabrication and utilization of special MFM probes based on single ferromagnetic nanoparticles as the magnetically interacting element. A magnetic probe that consists of a very small magnetic single-domain particle can be accurately described by a magnetic point dipole. Such a probe potentially yields an improved lateral resolution and a simplifi ed quantitative interpretation of MFM images compared to a standard thin-fi lm coated MFM tip.
First of all, one part of this thesis examines the fabrication of suitable single-domain particles. In particular, this part is focussed on experiments concerning the protection of these particles from oxidation in ambient conditions. To this end, these ferromagnetic particles were coated with gold using the light-induced deposition of gold in a photoactive metal-salt solution. The chemical surface passivation of the particles by the gold coating was verifi ed using diff erent techniques (SQUID, MFM).
In the next step, these particles were mechanically affi xed to a standard silicon tip of atomic force microscopy (AFM). The controlled attachment of a single particle, as well as the attachment of multiple particles to such a Si-AFM tip was demonstrated.
Another part of the thesis examines the magnetic imaging with particle based probes in MFM experiments. A minimum of four cobalt particles affi xed to the tip was determined as the threshold for obtaining a reasonable MFM signal. It was possible to image the magnetic domain structure of a hard disk drive sample with these particle probes. Using a simulation of the MFM data, the orientation and the position of the e ffective tip dipole were determined. The e ffective dipole moment of the tip is found by a calibration experiment assuming a magnetic dipole-dipole interaction between the tip and another magnetic particle.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa:de:qucosa:28040 |
| Date | 30 January 2014 |
| Creators | Uhlig, Tino |
| Contributors | Eng, Lukas, Schultz, Ludwig, Technische Universität Dresden |
| Source Sets | Hochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | doc-type:doctoralThesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis, doc-type:Text |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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