ASSEMBLY AND IMAGING OF SUBMICRON FERROMAGNETS IN GAAS

Submicron room-temperature ferromagnets are formed in GaAs semiconduct ors through a simple process of ion implantation and subsequent heat t reatment. The ferromagnetic structures are studied using magnetic forc e microscopy. Magnetization switching of single-domain particles has b een directly imaged in applied magnetic fields. In order to understand the images of magnetic structures taken under external fields, we hav e characterized the magnetic force microscopy (MFM) probes by imaging microfabricated current-carrying strips in applied magnetic fields. Pa tterned micrometer scale lines containing submicron magnetic structure s on GaAs are fabricated using lithography in conjunction with broad b eam ion implantation. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.