title: Fabrication and magnetic characterization of cobalt antidot arrays: effect of the surrounding continuous film.
abstract: We have performed an experimental study on the influence of a ferromagnetic continuous film in the magnetization reversal processes in discrete submicrometric antidot arrays fabricated on it. In order to compare the magnetic properties, two sets of antidot arrays have been fabricated over a cobalt thin film: embedded in the continuous film, and isolated by a trench surrounding the array. X-ray photoemission electron microscopy images of the virgin state show the same magnetic domain distribution in both sets of samples, finding no evidence of any effect of the surrounding film. This result is supported by the hysteresis loops measured with magneto-optical Kerr effect, as isolated and non-isolated arrays present almost coincident loops. A huge increase of the coercivity of the film is achieved, and the expected dependence on the geometrical parameters of the array is found, connecting the previous studies on the micro- and nanometric scales.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón (ICMA) and Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de Zaragoza, C/Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castán-Guerrero
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sesé
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartolomé
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bartolomé
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Herrero-Albillos
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kronast
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Strichovanec
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Merazzo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vázquez
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vavassori
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: García