Regularly aligned arrays of submicron-sized Y-shaped permalloy (Ni 80 Fe 20 ) structures buried in silicon wafers have been fabricated. Spin distributions of the surface have been observed using a magnetic force microscope (MFM) and analyzed by a micromagnetic simulation based on the Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert equation. In widely-spaced linear arrangement of dots, two magnetic poles on the ends of two of three arms and a multi-domain structure in the remaining arm were observed. On the other hand, in the closely-spaced honeycomb arrangement regularly aligned magnetic poles appeared at the ends of all arms and no multi-domain structures appeared and the ‘spin ice’ states were confirmed at each vertex site of the Y-shaped dot.