NANOCRYSTALLINE COBALT THIN-FILMS OBSERVED BY MFM AND LORENTZ MICROSCOPY

Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM) is applied to the study of magnetic do main structures in evaporated nanocrystalline Cobalt thin films. Compa rison is made with Lorentz Microscopy (LM) images of the same specimen area in order to ease and support the interpretation of the contrast observed in MFM images. With this approach it is possible to unequivoc ally understand the MFM contrast. Domain walls of the cross-tie type h ave been observed for Cobalt films 100 nm thick. By mapping the z-comp onent of the stray magnetic field, MFM enabled the study of the struct ure of a single cross-tie and the location of Bloch lines within a dom ain wall.