NiFe-Based Nanostructures Fabricated Using an Atomic Force Microscope

NiFe thin films of 20 nm thickness deposited by rf magnetron sputtering on SiO2/Si substrates were selectively oxidized using an atomic force microscope (AFM). The dot structures of NiFe-oxide were fabricated by applying a pulse voltage to the AFM cantilever. The height of the dots was controlled in the range from 3.5 to 14 nm by changing the voltage or duration of the applied pulse bias. The diameter of the dots was varied from 60 to 140 nm, which was not strongly dependent on the duration of the pulsed bias.