Domain structure of nanomagnet arrays fabricated by shadow deposition onto self-organized semiconductor templates

Self-organized nanofaceted semiconductor surfaces are attractive candidates to be used as large-area templates for the growth of magnetic nanostructures. By shadow deposition onto selected facet types, arrays of isolated nanomagnets can be fabricated. Using this technique we prepared Co nanomagnets on SiGe templates at the Nanospectroscopy Beamline of the synchrotron radiation facility ELETTRA in Trieste. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) measurements using a photoemission electron microscope reveal the in plane magnetization of the 7 monolayer thick Co nanomagnets. Their base size of about 200 nm x 20 nm corresponds to the facet size of the templates as determined by atomic-force microscopy. XMCD shows that the nanomagnets form several micrometer large domains with correlated magnetization.