Dependence of domain structure on applied field direction in stacked media

Abstract

Domain structure of stacked media demagnetized with perpendicular or in-plane demagnetization field is investigated using MFM. For a demagnetized medium (sample A), the domain size is approximately 50 nm regardless of demagnetization field direction, while the contrast of the MFM image for the in-plane demagnetized sample is lower than that for the perpendicularly demagnetized sample. The domain of sample B where the cap layer was etched from the sample A is similar to that of the sample A in case of perpendicular demagnetization, which shows the domains of the cap and granular layers are integrated. Meanwhile, in case of in-plane demagnetization, the domain of the sample B is hardly observed, which suggests the domains of the cap and granular layers of the sample A are not integrated, and it is probable that the sub-domain structure is formed in the cap layer. The domain of sample C demagnetized in-plane after etching the cap layer from the stacked medium is hardly observed like the sample B, which shows that the domain of the granular layer of the sample A is not affected by the cap layer.