Patent ID: 6590209
Filing Date: 2003-07-08
Classification: G01N,G01R,H01J

Abstract:
A method for quantitatively measuring the magnetization vector field of a magnetic structure, comprising:illuminating a magnetic structure with an electron wave; forming an electron image of said magnetic structure with said electron wave, wherein said electron image comprises pixels; measuring the intensity of said electron image; forming a defocused image of said electron image on either side of best focus; measuring the intensity of said defocused image; determining the difference between the intensity of said electron image and said defocused image to obtain the phase gradient; using the Nugent et al. transport-of-intensity equation, determining the phase of said magnetic structure quantitatively from said phase gradient; calculating the phase difference in the x-direction to obtain the magnetization vector in the x-direction; and calculating the phase difference in the y-direction to obtain the magnetization vector in the y-direction.