Maskless magnetic patterning using cobalt and dysprosium focused ion beams

We present results for direct maskless magnetic patterning of ferromagnetic nanostructures using a special liquid metal alloy ion source for focused ion beam (FIB) systems. We used a Co36Nd64 alloy as the FIB source [1]. A Wien mass filter allows for quick switching between the ion species in the alloy without changing the FIB source. A 5000×1000×50 nm3 permalloy strip served as the sample. Using the FIB we implanted a 300-nm-wide track with Co ions (see Fig.1). We observed the Co-induced changes by measuring the sample with microresonator ferromagnetic resonance before and after the implantation. Structures as small as 30 nm can be implanted up to a concentration of 10 % near the surface. Such lateral resolution is hard to reach for other lithographic methods. This allows for easy magnetic modification of edge-localized spin waves.
In another set of samples, we implanted Dy ions to locally increase the damping in a stripe pattern of ~120-nm-wide strips with 400 nm periodicity on a total area of 1×1 mm². Thus, the Gilbert damping parameter can be easily increased by one order of magnitude with a lateral resolution of about 100 nm.
In contrast to electron beam lithography in combination with broad-beam ion implantation, the maskless FIB process does not require the cumbersome and difficult removal of the ion-hardened resist if optical measurements like BLS or TR-MOKE are needed.