X-ray scattering from two-dimensionally patterned magnetic thin film nanoscale arrays

Thin metallic films patterned into nanoscale periodic arrays give rise to coherent satellites on either side of the specular reflection when illuminated at grazing incidence with x-rays. We have used grazing incidence x-ray scattering to probe the crystallography of two-dimensional patterned arrays. Excellent agreement is obtained between experimental scattering profiles and those simulated using a fast Fourier transform method. The technique is appropriate to any shape of patterned element. It is shown that the symmetry of the satellites in an azimuthal rotation map of the scattered intensity provides a sensitive means of measuring symmetry of the two-dimensional order in patterned nanostructures. Furthermore, the in-plane coherence length of the array is found to determine the lineshape of the coherent satellite peaks. We find very good agreement between experimental and simulated rotation maps for the two dimensional array. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.