Development of a Thin Film Nanomagnetics Characterization Chamber

用于研究薄膜磁性和摩擦学特性的独特设备的开发将由学术研究基础设施计划的资金完成。由IBM公司捐赠给莱斯大学的现有设备已经包括扫描电子显微镜（SEM），俄歇电子能谱（AES）和电子色散x射线能谱（EDS）在一个大型超高真空室中。磁学研究将通过增加电子自旋极化仪来进行扫描电子显微镜的极化分析（SEMPA）和磁光克尔效应仪（MOKE）。完成后的系统将具有回答科学和技术问题的独特能力，因为它能够：1)磁性数据存储材料中的图像写入磁畴结构，2)研究写入磁畴壁与微观结构特征的相互作用，3)外延蒸发膜表面的图像畴壁，4)允许对外延薄膜表面的自旋极化进行基础研究，5)表征磁盘存储摩擦表面的表面化学和形貌。6)化学和物理表征新的摩擦学材料；7)溅射沉积和表征与磁存储应用相关的磁性薄膜和多层膜。从现有的超高真空室开始，将增加现有的各种电子能谱仪器，以允许磁性薄膜和磁性多层系统的磁性测量。新设施具有独特的实验能力组合，将用于直接研究磁性数据存储材料和外延磁性多层材料的磁性和摩擦学性能。

The development of a unique facility for the study of the magnetic and tribological properties of thin films will be accomplished with funds from the Academic Research Infrastructure Program. An existing apparatus donated by the IBM Corporation to Rice University already includes scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) in a large ultra-high-vacumn chamber. Magnetic studies will be performed with the addition of electron spin polarimeters to perform scanning electron microscopy with polarization analysis (SEMPA) and a magneto-optic Kerr effect apparatus (MOKE). The completed system will be uniquely equipped to answer scientific and technological questions because of its ability to: 1) image written magnetic domain structures in magnetic data storage materials, 2) investigate the interaction of written domain walls with microstructural features, 3) image domain walls at surfaces of epitaxial evaporated films, 4) permit fundamental studies of spin polarization at surfaces of epitaxial thin films, 5) characterize the surface chemistry and morphology of tribological surfaces for magnetic disk storage, 6) chemically and physically characterize new tribological materials, 7) sputter deposit and characterize magnetic thin films and multilayers relevant to magnetic storage applications. Starting with an existing ultra-high-vacumn chamber with existing various electron spectroscopies instrumentation will be added to permit magnetic measurements of magnetic thin films and magnetic multilayer systems. The new facility, with a unique combination of experimental capabilities, will be used to study directly the magnetic and tribological properties of magnetic data storage materials and epitaxial magnetic multilayer materials.