著者

孝橋 昭生 小池 和幸

出版者

公益社団法人日本磁気学会

雑誌

日本応用磁気学会誌 (ISSN:18804004)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.28, no.3, pp.193-199, 2004-03-01

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Recently high-resolution magnetic domain observation has been strongly required in both scientific and technological fields, because of the rapidly growing interest in the physics of nano-structured magnetic materials, the increasing recording density of conventional magnetic storage devices, and the advent of nano-scale magnetic and spin-electronic devices. In this respect, the spin-polarized scanning electron microscope (spin SEM) is a very useful instrument. It uses the phenomenon that the spin-polarization vector of secondary electrons emitted from ferromagnetic material is antiparallel to the magnetization vector at the point in the material from which the secondary electrons originate. It has several advantages such as high spatial resolution, no limitation on sample thickness and fiatness, magnetization information independent of the sample surface topography, and quantitative analysis of the magnetization vectors in three dimensions. In this review article, the principles and structure of spin SEM are briefiy explained, and data obtained with various spin SEMs are presented.