The effects of patterning highly anisotropic repeating structures in soft magnetic thin films have been examined. Arrays of wires with equal mark/space ratios were patterned in resist using optical lithography. 100 nm thick Ni{sub}80Fe{sub}15Mo{sub}5 films were partially or completely etched using broad beam ion milling to assess the dependence of magnetic profiles on the degree of interconnection between the wires. These structures show a progressive increase in coercivity and a transition between single and two-stage switching with increasing milling depth. A similar nanopatterning technique has been applied to unpinned (Ni{sub}80Fe{sub}20/Cu/Ni{sub}80Fe{sub}20) spin valve structures in order to enhance the coercivity of one of the ferromagnetic layers; the increased coercivity induced by patterning changes the natural similarity of the magnetic layers and the completed structure exhibits a small spin valve response.
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