Abstract
We use Ion Beam Proximity Lithography (IBPL) to produce 4 mm times 4 mm arrays of 220 nm dots in perpendicularly - oriented Co/Pd multilayered media. IBPL is used to reduce the size distribution sigma D of the arrays, and subsequently He + ion irradiation is used to reduce their anisotropy. The switching field distribution sigma Hcr /H Cr is measured for each sample before and after irradiation, and a linear relationship is experimentally found between sigma Hcr /H Cr and sigma D . We argue that the slope of the line is due to the self-demagnetization effect of individual dots (and therefore, it is not strictly a line) and that the intercept of the line is inversely proportional to the permeability of the nanostructured material.