• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.140-145
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• 2014

We analyzed the MnIr thickness dependence of torque signals measured in exchange coupled CoFe/MnIr ($t_{AF}$) bilayers. The measured torque signals were compared with calculated ones by Stoner-Wohlfarth model. The exchange coupling anisotropy $J_c$ was considered for the model calculation between ferromagnetic (F) and antiferromagnetic (AF) layers with uniaxial anisotropy constant of $K_F$ and $K_{AF}$, respectively. The rotational losses were appeared in the range of $0.5t_c$ < $t_{AF}$ < $t_c$ ($=J_c/K_{AF}$) by the unpinned AF layer. While, the unidirectional anisotropy ($J_k$) was caused by the pinned AF layer at $t_{AF}$ > $t_c$. The critical thickness of MnIr layer was $t_c$ = 3.4 nm in CoFe/MnIr bilayers. The rotational losses behavior as shown in $t_{AF}$ = 3 nm sample were explained by the random orientation of the easy axis of AF grains. The unidirectional anisotropy obtained from torque signal of $t_{AF}$ = 10 nm sample was $J_k=0.63J_c$. Thus, the unidirectional anisotropy can be enhanced up to $J_k=J_c$ by aligning the AF easy axis.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.122-125
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• 2013

Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) is the phenomenon of magnetic thin film which is preferentially magnetized in a direction perpendicular to the film's plane. Amorphous multilayer with PMA has been studied as the good candidate to realization of high density STT-MRAM (Spin Transfer Torque-Magnetic Random Access Memory). The current issue of high density STT-MRAM is a decrease in the switching current of the device and an application of amorphous materials which are most suitable devices. The amorphous ferromagnetic material has low saturated magnetization, low coercivity and high thermal stability. In this study, we presented amorphous ferromagnetic multilayer that consists of an amorphous alloy CoSiB and a nonmagnetic material Pd. We investigated the change of PMA of the $[CoSiB\;t_{CoSiB}/Pd\;1.3nm]_5$ multilayer ($t_{CoSiB}$ = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6 nm, and $t_{Pd}$ = 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 nm) and $[CoSiB\;0.3nm/Pd\;1.3nm]_n$ multilayer (n = 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13). This multilayer is measured by VSM (Vibrating Sample Magnetometer) and analyzed magnetic properties like a coercivity ($H_c$) and a magnetization ($M_s$). The coercivity in the $[CoSiB\;t_{CoSiB}\;nm/Pd\;1.3nm]_5$ multi-layers increased with increasing $t_{CoSiB}$ to reach a maximum at $t_{CoSiB}$ = 0.3 nm and then decreased for $t_{CoSiB}$ > 0.3 nm. The lowest saturated magnetization of $0.26emu/cm^3$ was obtained in the $[CoSiB\;0.3nm/Pd\;1.3nm]_3$ multilayer whereas the highest coercivity of 0.26 kOe was obtained in the $[CoSiB\;0.3nm/Pd\;1.3nm]_5$ mutilayer. Additional Pd layers did not contribute to the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The single domain structure evolved in to a striped multi-domain structure as the bilayer repetition number n was increased above 7 after which (n > 7) the hysteresis loops had a bow-tie shapes.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.274-281
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• 1999

Usually sputtering and electroless plating methods were used for manufacturing metal-alloy thin film magnetic memory devices. Since electroless plating method has many merits in mass production and product variety com­pared to sputtering method, many researches about electroless plating have been performed in the United State of America and Japan. However, electroless plating method has not been studied frequently in Korea. In these respects the purpose of this research is manufacturing Co-Mn-P alloy thin film on the corning glass 2948 by electroless plating method using sodium hypophosphite as a reductant, and analyzing deposition rate, alloy composition, microstructure, and magnetic characteristics at various pH's and temperatures. For Co-P alloy thin film, the reductive deposition reaction 0$\alpha$urred only in basic condition, not in acidic condition. The deposition rate increased as the pH and temperature increased, and the optimum condition was found at the pH of 10 and the temperature of $80^{\circ}C$. Also magnetic charac­teristics was found to be most excellent at the pH of 9 and the temperature of $70^{\circ}C$, resulting in the coercive force of 8700e and the squareness of 0.78. At this condition, the contents of P was 2.54% and the thickness of the film was $0.216\mu\textrm{m}$. For crystal orientation, we could not observe fcc for $\beta$-Co. On the other hand,(1010), (0002), (1011) orientation of hcp for a-Co was observed. We could confirm the formation of longitudinal magnetization from dominant (1010) and (1011) orientation of Co-P alloy. For Co-Mn-P alloy deposition, coercive force was about 1000e more than that of Co P alloy, but squareness had no difference. For crystal orientation, (l01O) and (lOll) orientation of $\alpha$-Co was dominant as same as that of Co- P alloy. Likewise we could confirm the formation of longitudinal magnetization.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.212-217
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• 2002

The pseudo spin valve with a structure of Tl/CoFe(t $\AA$)/Cu(30 $\AA$)/NiFe(50 $\AA$)/Ta, showing giant magnetoresistance properties by utilizing coercivity difference between only two soft ferromagnetic layers were produced by d.c UHV magnetron sputtering system. In pseudo spin valve Ta/CoFe/Cu/NiFe/Ta, the magnetic and magnetoresistance properties with change of CoFe thickness were investigated. When the thickness of CoFe was 60 $\AA$, a typical MR curve of pseudo spin valve structure was obtained, showing MR ratio of 3.8 cio and the coercivity difference of 27.4 Oe with a sharp change of hard layer switching. When the CoFe thickness was varied from 20 to 100 $\AA$, coercivity difference between two layers was increased to 40 $\AA$. and decreased to 100 $\AA$ gradually. It is thought the change in coercivity of hard layer was due to the crystallinity and magnetostriction of thin CoFe layer. In order to improve the MR property in CoFe/Cu/NiFe trier layer structure, CoFe layer with change of 2-20 $\AA$ thick was inserted between Cu and NiFe. When the thickness of CoFe was 10 $\AA$, MR ratio was 6.7％, showing excellent MR property. This indicates 50 ％ higher than that of CoFe/Cu/NiFe pseudo spin valve.

• Proceedings of the Korean Magnestics Society Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.130-131
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• 2003

The magnetic and thermal properties of NiFe/IrMn/CoFe with Mn additions have been studied. As grown CoFe pinned-layers with IrMn-Mn have dominantly larger exchange biasing field( $H_{ex}$) and blocking temperature( $T_{b}$) than when pure I $r_{22}$M $n_{78}$ is used. The magnetic properties improve, $H_{ex}$ and $T_{b}$ improve with 77-78 vol% Mn, but drop considerably with more Mn additions, losing magnetic properties of theb NiFe/IrMn/CoFe with addition 0.6 vol % Mn. The average x-ray diffraction peak ratios fcc (111)CoFe of (111)IrM $n_3$ textures for the Mn inserted total vol of 75, 77, and 79 vol% were about 1.4, 0.8, and 0.6, respectively. For the sample without Mn inserted layer, the $H_{ex}$ between I $r_{22}$M $n_{78}$ and CoFe layers is almost nothing. For two multilayer as-grown samples with ultra-thin Mn layers of 77 vol % and 79 vol %, the $H_{ex}$s are 250 Oe and 150 Oe, respectively. In case of IrMn with 77.5 vol% Mn, the $H_{ex}$ was 444 Oe up to 30$0^{\circ}C$ endured of 363 Oe at 40$0^{\circ}C$, respectively. Mn additions improve the magnetic properties and thermal stabilities of NiFe/IrMn/CoFe. Those increase the $H_{ex}$ and $T_{b}$. In applications where higher $H_{ex}$ and $T_{b}$ are accept, proper concentrations of Mn can be used.n can be used.be used.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.204-209
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• 2012

We measure the ferromagnetic resonance signals in order to analyze the exchange coupling energy due to the uncompensated antiferromagnetic spins in exchange coupled CoFe/MnIr bilayers. The exchange bias fields ($H_{ex}$) and rotatable anisotropy fields ($H_{ra}$) are obtained from the ferromagnetic resonance fields measured with in-plane angle in thermal annealed samples with $t_{AF}$= 0, 3, and 10 nm. The sum of the $H_{ex}$ and $H_{ra}$ do not depend on the MnIr thickness, which means that all the uncompensated AF spins are aligned to one direction in $300^{\circ}C$ annealed samples. Therefore, the uncompensated AF spins are divided into two different parts. One parts are fixed at the interface between CoFe/MnIr bilayers and induces the $H_{ex}$, other parts are rotatable with magnetic field and induces the $H_{ra}$. Finally, the exchange coupling energy can be expressed by the sum of the exchange bias energy and rotatable anisotropy energy.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.162-165
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• 2007

We investigated the effects of the capping layer materials on the crystallization of the amorphous top-CoFeB (t-CoFeB) electrode and the magnetoresistance properties of the magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). When the hcp(002)-textured Ru capping layer was used, the amorphous t-CoFeB was crystallized to bcc-CoFe(110). The CoFe(110)/Ru(002) texture relation can be minimized the lattice mismatch down to 5.6%. However, when the fine polycrystalline but almost amorphous TiAl or amorphous ZrAl were used, the amorphous t-CoFeB was crystallized to bcc-CoFe(002). When the amorphous capping materials were used, the evolution of the t-CoFeB texture was affected mainly by the MgO(001) texture. Consequently, the M ratios of the annealed MTJ capped with the ZrAl and TiAl (72.7 and 71.8%) are relatively higher than that of the MTJ with Ru capping layer (46.7%). In conclusions, the texture evolution of the amorphous t-CoFeB during the post deposition annealing could be controlled by the crystallinity of the adjacent capping layer and in turn, it affects the TMR ratio of MTJs.