Pattern Evolution Due to Energetic Solid-State Diffusion Front in Nanoscale Thin Film

We report the study on oscillatory pattern/domain formation due to energetic solid-state reaction in a metallic multilayer thin film using a scanning probe microscope. The observed oscillatory patterns become more ordered as the total thickness changed from 50nmto1.2μm. At higher thickness, a nonlinear cross oscillation pattern is also observed, which we attribute to spinning wave. The observed oscillation is modeled in terms of perturbation in the thermal wave. Magnetization measurement shows increased coercivity for the reacted film.