The magnetic microstructures of 2∶17 type Sm(Co,Fe,Cu,Zr)_z magnets were detected by magnetic force microscopy. Comparing the microstructures of the specimens coated with and without Ta thin film before and after heat-treatment, it is found that: (a) as a protection layer, Ta coating layer about 20 nm thick can effectively restrain Sm volatilization under high temperature; (b) the stress built in the 2∶17 type Sm-Co magnets during specimen preparation only affects some local parts of the domain structures; (c) the magnetic microstructures vary largely for specimens heat-treated at high temperature without Ta film coating due to Sm volatilization. In addition, by comparing with high coercivity Fe-Pt point tips, it is found that the Co-Cr thin-film tips are not suitable for detecting the magnetic microstructures of strong permanent magnets.
The typical magnetic domains of Sm(Co bal Fe 0.25 Cu 0.07 Zr 0.02 ) 7.4 magnets quenched through various heattreatment steps have been revealed by using magnetic force microscopy (MFM). For the specimens in which the nominal c-axis is perpendicular to the imaging plane, the domain configurations change from plate-like for the as-sintered magnet to corrugation and spike-like for the homogenized one, and then to a coarse and finally to a finer domain structure when isothermally aged at 830 C and then annealed at 400 C. However, only plate-like domains can be detected on the surfaces with the nominal c-axis parallel to the imaging plane. The finer domain (so-called interaction domain) is a characteristic magnetic domain pattern of the Sm-Co 2:17-type magnets with high coercivities. Domain walls in a zigzag shape are revealed by means of MFM in final bulk Sm-Co 2:17-type sintered magnets.
Magnetic FePt nanodot arrays are promising candidates for making quantum magnetic recording disk. Here we introduce a hybrid method of FePt nanodot array fabrication through nanosphere lithography. This method combines the advantages of both top-down and bottom-up approaches and does not re- quire expensive equipment nor complicated processing steps.The size of magnetic FePt nanodots prepared can be as small as 40 nm.
wu PeiWenFANG YiKunTUO XinLinWANG XiaoGongHAN BaoShanYUAN Jun
