Characterization of permalloy wires by optical and magneto-optical spectroscopy

Abstract

Spectroscopic ellipsometry, reflectometry and magnetooptical (MO) spectroscopy in the zero and first diffraction orders are used to analyze submicron ultrathin MO gratings. Two different theoretical approaches, a rigorous analysis and an approximate method, are used to simulate the optical and MO response of the gratings. The numerical analysis suggests the presence of native oxide layers on the substrate and capping. A strong spectral anomaly observed in the MO response is identified by the integration of both theoretical approaches. The possibility to monitor the quality and topography of shallow gratings with high sensitivity is concluded.