Characteristics of stripe domains in FeTaN films observed by magnetic force microscopy

Stripe domains in FeTaN films were observed by magnetic force microscopy (MFM), and related magnetic and electrical properties of the films were investigated. An abrupt change in M-H loop near saturation was accompanied by sudden disappearance of the stripe domains. For some samples, little change was observed in the domain width and overall shape of the stripe domains did not change during magnetization reversal process. The MFM phase signal had a maximum during magnetization reversal at the applied field close to the coercivity of the film. Electrical measurement also revealed the switching mechanism. Both anisotropic (AMR) and giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effects governed the magnetoresistive characteristics. The resistance of the film measured along the stripe exhibited a minimum, while that in the direction perpendicular to the stripe showed a maximum at around the coercive field during the magnetization reversal process.