The formation of ordered magnetic
domains in thin films is important
for the magnetic microdevices in spin-electronics, magneto-optics,
and magnetic microelectromechanical systems. Although inducing anisotropic
stress in magnetostrictive materials can achieve the domain assembly,
controlling magnetic anisotropy over microscale areas is challenging.
In this work, we realized the microscopic patterning of magnetic domains
by engineering stress distribution. Deposition of ferromagnetic thin
films on nanotrenched polymeric layers induced tensile stress at the
interfaces, giving rise to the directional magnetoelastic coupling
to form ordered domains spontaneously. By changing the periodicity
and shape of nanotrenches, we spatially tuned the geometric configuration
of domains by design. Theoretical analysis and micromagnetic characterization
confirmed that the local stress distribution by the topographic confinement
dominates the forming mechanism of the directed magnetization.