PROPOSED ANTIFERROMAGNETICALLY COUPLED DUAL-LAYER MAGNETIC FORCE MICROSCOPE TIPS

A magnetic force microscope tip designed from dual-layer magnetic film s of antiferromagnetically coupled magnetic layers is proposed. A theo retical analysis of the possible advantages of such a tip over convent ional single-layer tips is given, using an extension to dual layers of a previously described micromagnetic model of single-layer tips. In c ontrast to single-layer tips, the magnetic domains of dual-layer tips are less sensitive to the fringing fields of the specimen, and the tip s' stray fields are greatly reduced, thus minimizing the likelihood of erasure of the sample magnetization. These properties of dual-layer t ips should lead to improved resolution of magnetic force microscopy im ages.