Hall cross size scaling and its application to measurements on nanometer-size iron particle arrays

Hall crosses were used to measure the magnetic properties of arrays of ferr omagnetic, nanometer-scale iron particles. The arrays typically consist of several hundred particles of 9-20 nm in diameter. It is shown that the sens itivity of the measurements can be improved by matching the areas of the Ha ll cross and the array grown onto it by at least an order of magnitude. We predict that single particles of diameter as small as 10 nm can be measured if grown onto Hall crosses of appropriate size. (C) 2000 American Institut e of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)04422-3].