• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.104-108
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• 2001

The effect of specular electron scattering on natural oxidation of free layer in NiO spin valves have been investigated. The magnetoresistance (MR) ratio and the exchange biasing field ( $H_{ex}$) of NiO(600 $\AA$)Ni$_{81}$$Fe_{19}$(50$\AA$)/Co(7 $\AA$)/Cu(20 $\AA$)/Co(7 $\AA$)Ni$_{81}$$Fe_{19}$(70 $\AA$) spin valves were increased from 4.9 % to 7.3 %, and 110 Oe to 170 Oe after natural oxidation in the atmosphere for 80 days, respectively. The sheet resistivity p decreased from 28$\mu$$\Omega$m to 17$\mu$$\Omega$m, but $\Delta$$\rho$ did not almost change after the oxidation. The spin valves enhanced by the specular electron scattering in the natural]y Co/NiFe/NiFe $O_{x}$ free layer were confirmed from the depth profiles using Auger electron spectroscopy.scopy..

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.72-77
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• 2001

Top spin valve films with PtMn antiferromagnetic layers were deposited using a multi-target dc magnetron sputtering in (100)Si substrates overcoated with 500 $\AA$ of Al$_2$O$_3$. Firstly, the post-deposition annealing was performed at 270$\^{C}$ in a unidirectional magnetic field of 3 kOe to induce the crystallographic transformation of the PtMn layer from a fcc (111) to a fct (111) structure. Secondly, the spin valve films were annealed without magnetic fields and magnetic properties were measured. In Si/A1$_2$O$_3$ (500$\AA$)/Ta(50$\AA$)NiFe(40$\AA$)/CoFe(17$\AA$)/Cu(28$\AA$)/CoFe (30$\AA$)PtMn(200$\AA$)Ta(50$\AA$) top spin valve samples, the MR ratio decreased slowly with increasing annealing temperature up to 325$\^{C}$. But above 325$\^{C}$, the MR ratio decreased rapidly to 1%, due to a collapse of the exchange coupling between a antiferromagnetic layer and a pinned layer with increasing annealing temperature. Also above 325$\^{C}$, the exchange biased field rapidly decreased and the interlayer coupling field rapidly increased with increasing annealing temperature. A change in the interlayer coupling field was resulted from the increase in interface roughness due to Mn-interdiffusion through the grain boundaries. We confirmed the temperature in changing magnetic properties agreed well with the blocking temperature of PtMn based spin valve structure.

• Proceedings of the Korean Magnestics Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.170-171
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• 2005

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.226-230
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• 2005

In this research, magnetic properties and annealing effects of the spin valve structures were investigated, which have Ta underlayer deposited with Ar and $N_2$ gas mixture. Also, TaN underlayer as a diffusion barrier and the substrate were investigated. The structure of the spin valve was Si($SiO_2$)/Ta(TaN)/NiFe/CoFe/Cu/CoFe/FeMn/Ta. Deposition rate was decreased and resistivity and roughness of the TaN films were increased as the $N_2$ gas flow was increased. The XRD results after high temperature annealing showed that Silicides were created in Si/Ta layer, but not in Si/TaN layer. Magnetoresistance ratio (MR) and exchange coupling field ($H_{ex}$) were decreased when the $N_2$ gas flow was increased over 4.0 sccm. The MR of the spin valves with Ta and TaN films deposited with up to 4.0 sccm of $N_2$ gas flow was increased about $0.5\%$ until the annealing temperature of up to $200^{\circ}C$ and then, decreased. TaN film deposited with 8.0 sccm of $N_2$ gas flow showed twice the adhesion of the Ta film. The above results indicate that with 3.0 sccm of $N_2$ gas flow during the Ta underlayer deposition, the magnetic properties of the spin valves are maintained, while the underlayer may be used as a diffusion barrier and the adhesion between the Si substrate and the underlayer is increased.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.129-133
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• 2010

Two-layered ferromagnetic alloy films (NiFe, CoFe) with a Conetic (NiFeCuMo) intermediately soft magnetic layer of different thickness were investigated to correlate the coercivity values and magnetization process with the strength of saturation field of hard axis. Thickness dependence of the $H_{EC}$ (coercivity of easy axis), $H_{HS}$ (saturation field of hard axis.), and X (susceptibility) of NiFe and NiFeCuMo thin films for the glass/Ta(5 nm)/[CoFe or NiFe(5 nm-t/2)]/NiFeCuMo(t = 0, 4, 6, 8, 10 nm)/[CoFe or NiFe(5 nm-t/2)]/Ta(5 nm) films prepared by the ion beam deposition method was measured. The magnetic properties $H_{EC}$, $H_{HS}$, and X of two-layered ferromagnetic CoFe, NiFe films with a NiFeCuMo intermediately super-soft magnetic layer were strongly depended on the thickness of NiFeCuMo layer. The value of the coercivity and magnetic susceptibility of the NiFeCuMo film decreased by 25% and doubled relative to that of the NiFe film.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.229-229
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• 2003

Enhancement of the exchange bias and optimization of the structure have been the focus that many researchers studied, recently [1]. In this report, magnetic properties of MTJs with structure of Si/Ta (5)/Cu (10)/ Ta (5)/ Ni$\sub$80/Fe$\sub$20/ Cu (5)/ Mn$\sub$75Ir$\sub$25/ (10)/ Co$\sub$70/Fe$\sub$30/ (2.5)/ Al-O (1.5)/ Co$\sub$70/Fe$\sub$30/ (2.5)/ Ni$\sub$80/Fe$\sub$20/ (t)/ Ta (5) (t=0,10, 30, 60 and 100 nm, respectively) were investigated. The relationship between the structure and magnetic parameters of interfacial exchange coupling and interlayer coupling in as-deposited and annealed junctions was studied. The temperature dependence of exchange coupling was considered.

• Proceedings of the Korean Magnestics Society Conference
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• 2002.12a
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• pp.154-155
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• 2002

스핀밸브형 GMR(Giant magnetoresistance) 소자는 낮은 자장범위에서 큰 자기저항변화가 생기는 높은 민감도의 소자로서, 고밀도 자기기록매체의 재생헤드 및 MRAM(Magnetoresistance Random Access Memory) 등의 실제 응용에 있어 큰 자기저항비와 열적 안정성을 가지는 재료들을 필요로 한다. NiO, a-$Fe_2O_3$, NiO/a-$Fe_2O_3$ 등과 같은 산화물의 경우, 높은 Tn(Neel temperature)을 가지므로 이를 이용한 Bottom형 스핀밸브에 대한 연구가 활발히 진행되어 왔다. (중략)

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.95-98
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• 2007

In this paper, the magnetic properties and the annealing behavior of spin valve structures with Mo(MoN) underlayers were studied for various underlayer thickness. The spin valve structure was Si substrate/Mo(MoN)$(t{\AA})/NiFe(21{\AA})/CoFe(28{\AA})/Cu(22{\AA})/CoFe(18{\AA})/IrMn(65{\AA})/Ta(25 {\AA})$. Mo and MoN films were deposited on Si substrates and their thermal annealing behavior was analyzed. The deposition rate of the MoN thin film was decreased and tile resistivity of the MoN thin films were increased as the $N_2$ gas flow was increased. The variations of MR ratio and magnetic exchange coupling field of spin valve structure were smaller with MoN underlayers than that with Mo underlayers up to thickness of $51{\AA}$. MR ratio of spin valves with Mo underlayers was 2.86% at room temperature and increased up to 2.91 % after annealing at $200^{\circ}C$. Upon annealing at $300^{\circ}C$, the MR ratio decreased about 2.16%. The MR ratio of spin valves structure with MoN underlayers for $N_2$ gas flow 1 sccm was 5.27% at room temperature and increased up to 5.56% after annealing at $200^{\circ}C$. Upon annealing at $300^{\circ}C$, the MR ratio decreased about 4.9%.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.240-244
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• 2006

In this paper, magnetic properties and annealing behavior of spin valve structures using Mo(MoN) layers as underlayers were studied varying the thickness of the underlayers. The spin valve structure was consisted of Si substrate/$SiO_2(2,000{\AA})/Mo(MoN)(t{\AA})/NiFe(21\;{\AA})/CoFe(28\;{\AA})/Cu(22\;{\AA})/CoFe(18\;{\AA})/IrMn(65\;{\AA})/Ta(25\;{\AA})$. Also, MoN films were deposited on Si substrates and their thermal annealing behavior was analyzed. The resistivity of the MoN film increased as the $N_2$ gas flow rate was increased. After annealing at $600^{\circ}C$, XRD results did not show peaks of silicides. XPS results indicated MoN film deposited with 5 sccm of $N_2$ gas flow rate was more stable than the film deposited with 1 sccm of $N_2$ gas flow rate. The variations of MR ratio and magnetic exchange coupling fold were small for the spin valve structures using Mo(MoN) underlayers up to thickness of45 ${\AA}$. MR ratio of spin valves using MoN underlayers deposited with various $N_2$ gas flow rate was about 7.0% at RT and increased to about 7.5% after annealing at $220^{\circ}C$. Upon annealing at $300^{\circ}C$, the MR ratio decreased to about 3.5%. Variation of $N_2$ gas flow rate up to 5 sccm did not change the MR ratio and $H_{ex}$ appreciably.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.22-25
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• 2007

In this research, magnetic properties of spin valve structures using IrMn layers as antiferromagnetic were studied depending on the thickness of the pinned layer. The spin valve structure was Si substrate/$SiO_2(2,000\;{\AA})/Mo(17\;{\AA})NiFe(21\;{\AA})/CoFe(28\;{\AA})/Cu(22\;{\AA})/CoFe(18\;{\AA})/IrMn(t\;{\AA})/Ta(25\;{\AA})$. Also, Mo film was deposited on Si substrates and the thermal annealing effect was analyzed. The resistivity of the Mo film was increased as an annealing temperature was increased up to $600^{\circ}C$. The variations of MR ratio were related with magnetic exchange coupling field of the spin valve structures for various IrMn pinned layer thickness up to 130 ${\AA}$. MR ratio and $H_{ex}$ of spin valves was about 9.05% and 277.5 Oe when the thickness of the IrMn pinned layer was $32.5\;{\AA}(t=32.5\;{\AA})$. It was increased to 9.65% and 337.5 Oe for $t=65\;{\AA}$. For $t=97.5\;{\AA}$, the MR ratio and Hex decreased to 8.2% and 285 Oe, and further decrease was observed up to $t=130\;{\AA}$.