Magnetic characterization methods for porous silicon

Abstract

Characterization methods for magnetic materials, especially nanostructured ones such as mesoporous silicon, are reviewed. Besides magnetometers, which are one of the most important instruments to investigate magnetic properties, magnetic force microscopy and magneto-optical microscopy are briefly outlined. Magnetometers measure in an integrative way over the entire sample, whereas magnetic force microscopy and magneto-optical methods probe the magnetic properties of a local region or an individual nanostructure. With magnetometers in general, field- and temperature-dependent measurements can be performed; magneto-optical microscopy can be used to get knowledge about the domain structure, and with magnetic force microscopy, the magnetization reversal of, e.g., a nanowire, can be studied.