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The properties of magnetic metals such as saturation magnetization and magnetic anisotropy can be modified in a controllable manner by energetic ions [1]. GaMnAs is a well known magnetic semiconductor. The ability to tune the magnetic properties of magnetic semiconductors is an important issue in future semiconductor devices. Here we tailored the magnetism of GaMnAs films by He+ ion irradiation. The GaxMn1-xAs films with a Mn concentration of 5% and the easy axis of magnetization lying in-plane have been grown on GaAs substrates by LT-MBE. He+ ions of 650 keV were used to place the peak of damage into the GaAs substrate, so that the GaMnAs epilayer lies in the relatively uniform part of the damage profile. We show that the coercivity can be increased (Fig.1) from 50 Oe to 165 Oe when the dose reaches 3×1014/cm2 ~ 6×1014/cm2. Meanwhile, the saturation magnetization at 5 K is only reduced slightly to 22 emu/cm3 compared to non-irradiated GaMnAs films with a saturation magnetization amounting to 27 emu/cm3. Magneto-transport results indicate that the sheet resistance is increased by about 4 times compared to the non-irradiated GaMnAs film with a sheet resistance of 103 Ω. The irradiated GaMnAs still has an in-plane easy axis of magnetization at 5 K, but the anisotropy energy is much decreased. When the dose increases to 1×1015/cm2, no M-H hysteresis has been probed. Our study demonstrates the tailoring of magnetism and magnetoresistance in GaMnAs films by He+ ion irradiation. [1] J. Fassbender and J. McCord, J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 320 (2008) 579–596

Ion irradiation of Ni80Fe20/Ta multilayers induces an interfacial mixing of these two materials, which subsequently leads to a suppression of the ferromagnetic properties. In order to quantify the structural change grazing incidence x-ray reflectometry has been used. The ion irradiation induced intermixing has been studied by means of TRIDYN simulations. The broadening of the interfaces due to intermixing causes an enrichment of Ta in Ni80Fe20 and finally an amorphization of Ni80Fe20 above a Ta concentration of 10 to 20 percent [1]. Consequently the ferromagnetic properties are altered or even suppressed completely for high enough ion fluences. It is observed that the critical ion fluence for a complete suppression of the ferromagnetism depends sensitively on the number of interfaces. It is demonstrated that pure magnetic microstructures can be easily fabricated by local ion irradiation without changing the substrate topography. [1] J. Fassbender et al., Nucl. Instr. and Meth. in Phys. Res. B 248, 343 (2006).

A nonmagnetic to ferromagnetic transformation is observed when a Pt/C multilayer stack (total thickness ~ 60 nm, thickness of individual layers ~ 2 nm) with a small amount of Fe impurity, grown on a glass substrate, is irradiated with 2 MeV Au ions [1]. Using a subnanometer depth resolution technique it was found that ion beam induced preferential migration of Fe from C to Pt layers and the subsequent formation of FePt nanoparticles were responsible for the magnetic transformation [2]. Fe concentration in the C layers decreases exponentially with increasing ion fluence with simultaneous increase of the coercive field in the magnetic hysteresis loop. An example of ion beam induced opposite transformation, namely, ferromagnetic to nonmagnetic, is shown using a Si(5nm)/Ni(10 nm)/Si trilayer system, where ion-beam-induced atomic displacements across the Si/Ni interfaces form a mixed Ni1-xSix layer leading to a ferromagnetic to nonmagnetic transformation. In this case, with increasing ion (30 keV Ga) fluence the coercive field in the hysteresis loop decreases with increasing ion fluence and eventually magnetization is destroyed at a critical fluence. Having identified the critical fluence, a focused ion beam (FIB, 30 keV Ga) was used to fabricate a lateral multistrip pattern in this thin (10 nm) magnetic layer with alternate magnetic/nonmagnetic strips of nanometer dimensions. Magnetooptical Kerr effect microscopy reveals the anisotropy of the magnetic domain structure along and perpendicular to the FIB-patterned strips. In the light of the observed phenomena, future developments in the area of nanotechnology, such as ultrahigh density magnetic storage devices, single-electron spin-valve transistors etc. will be discussed. Some nanoscale structures that can be fabricated using FIB will offer the possibility of exploring new scientific aspects, such as magnons in ordered ferromagnetic spot arrays, in these structures. [1] B. N. Dev, S. Bera, B. Satpati, D. K. Goswami, K. Bhattacharjee, P. V. Satyam, K. Yamashita, O. M. Liedke, K. Potzger, J. Fassbender, F. Eichhorn and R. Groetzschel, Microelectronic Engineering 83, 172 (2006). [2] S. Bera, K. Bhattacharjee, G. Kuri and B. N. Dev Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 196103 (2007).

Magnetic micro- and nanostructures are of great interest due to the fundamental physics involved if the dimension is shrunk as well as due to the application potential in storage, sensing and logic devices. For the creation of such structures typically lithography is used in combination with either etching or lift-off processes. In both cases the magnetic element is defined by isolated topographic structures. An alternative approach relies on the local ion irradiation of a magnetic multilayer structure. As a result of the ion irradiation an interfacial mixing between ferromagnetic layers and non-magnetic interlayers is achieved which consequently reduce and finally fully suppress the ferromagnetism. In order to demonstrate this behaviour Ni80Fe20/Ta multilayers with a different number of repetitions are used. The structural and magnetic properties are investigated by x-ray reflectivity and magneto-optic Kerr effect magnetometry as a function of noble gas irradiation fluence and number of multilayer repetitions. The experimental results are accompanied by TRIDYN simulations. In addition magnetic microstructures are created by means of large area ion irradiation through lithographically defined masks. By choosing the irradiation fluence the exchange coupling between the microstrucutres can be switching on and off. The magnetic domain configuration in these elements is imaged by means of Kerr microscopy and magnetic force microscopy. Thus the modified magnetization reversal curves can be interpreted on the basis of the micromagnetic domain structure.

With respect to future magnetic recording materials, the L10-ordering of stoichiometric FePt films (70 nm) deposited on amorphous SiO2 by dc magnetron co-sputtering has been studied. A low deposition rate (0.6 Å/s) and Ar pressure (0.3 Pa) was used. The kinetics of structural A1 - L10 transition and the degree of ordering have been investigated with in-situ X-ray diffraction at the Synchrotron beam line ROBL at ESRF. The transition to almost complete ordered L10 films with an ordering parameter S > 0.8 has been obtained at low temperatures of (320 +/- 20)°C. An additional post-deposition ion irradiation with He ions at RT or at 250°C (50 keV, 1x1015 - 3x1016 cm-2) does not influence this low transition temperature. Theoretical calculations reveal that for our experimental conditions no thermalization of the sputtered atoms and the reflected Ar neutrals in the plasma occur; thus, a considerable fraction of energetic ions and neutrals meet the substrate with energies partly exceeding the displacement threshold. The low transition temperature is explained in the reduction of the activation energy for atomic reordering by point defects which becomes mobile at temperatures higher or equal to 250°C. Using operating conditions with a strong thermalization (deposition at 2 Pa), the FePt film showed an increase of the transition temperature to 400°C and a reduced film density. Finally, the results of first experiments towards patterned L10 ordered FePt layers will be reported.

He ion irradiation has been demonstrated to be a versatile tool not only for interfacial mixing in the case of Co/Pt mulilayers [1] but also for low temperature L10-ordering of FePt alloys [2]. L10 ordered NiMn films are due to the high blocking temperature and if exchange coupled to a ferromagnetic material due to the large shift filed a promising candidate for magnetic sensor applications. However, for the creation of the L10 phase an annealing is required. The corresponding thermal budget should be as low as possible to impede the detrimental effect of fast Mn diffusion. In order to reduce the thermal budget for A1 - L10 phase transformation the potential of ion induced vacancy formation has been exploited. Magnetron sputtered film stacks of 5nm Ta/50(15)nm NiMn/20nm Fe20Ni80 /5nm Ta deposited at Si/SiO2 substrates were subsequently irradiated with He+ ions (30 keV, 10^15-3*10^16cm-2, RT or 250°C). The transition from the paramagnetic NiMn phase (fcc) to the chemically ordered, antiferromagnetic tetragonal L10 phase during annealing (100-500°C, Vacuum) was studied by in-situ X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation. A small L10 fraction (< 15%) is already available after deposition. The transformation to a dominating L10 (LRO-parameter S > 0.5) ordered NiMn film takes place between 250-300°C irrespective of the irradiation. Annealing at elevated temperatures (T > 400°C) leads to a loss of L10 ordering due to a complete intermixing of the NiMn and the Permalloy films. A benefit of ion iradiation is the improvement of the crystallinity and the degree of texture in the NiMn films already after low fluence (10^15 cm-2) implantation. [1] C. Chappert, H. Bernas, J. Ferre, V. Kottler, J.-P. Jamet, Y. Chen, E. Cambril, T. Devolder, F. Rousseaux, V. Mathet, H. Launois, Science 280, 1919 (1998). [2] H. Bernas, J.-P. Attane, K.-H. Heinig, D. Halley, D. Ravelosona, A. Marty, P. Auric, C. Chappert, Y. Samson, Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 077203 (2003).

Due to the high uniaxial anisotropy L10-ordered FePt is currently the most favored candidate for future high density storage applications. With respect to a feasible fabrication technology, it is necessary (i) to produce such films on amorphous substrates, and (ii) to enable a low processing temperature (T

Magnetron sputtered film stacks of 5nm Ta/50(15)nm NiMn/20nm Fe19Ni81 /5nm Ta deposited at Si/SiO2 substrates were subsequently irradiated with He+ ions (30 keV, 1e15 - 3e16 cm-2). Using synchrotron X-ray diffraction and reflectivity, the transition from the paramagnetic NiMn phase to the chemically ordered, antiferromagnetic L10 phase during annealing was studied. The transformation to a dominating L10 ordered NiMn film takes place between 300-400°C irrespective of the irradiation. Ion irradiation at low fluences offers beneficial effects with respect to a reduction of the mosaicity for both, the NiMn and the permalloy film, and a smoothening of internal interfaces.