• 한국재료학회지
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.200-204
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• 2002

We fabricated TMR devices which have double oxidized tunnel barrier using plasma oxidation method to form homogeneously oxidized AlO tunnel barrier. We sputtered 10 $\AA$-bottom Al layer and oxidized it by varying oxidation time for 5, 10, 20 sec. Subsequent sputtering of 13 $\AA$ - Al was performed and the matallic layer was oxidized for 120 sec. The electrical resistance changed from 700$\Omega$ to 2700$\Omega$ with increase of oxidation time, while variation of MR ratio was little spreading 27~31% which is larger than that of TMR device of ordinary single tunnel barrier. We calculated effective barrier height and width by measuring I-V curves, from which we found the barrier height was 1.3~1.5 eV, sufficient for tunnel barrier, and the barrier width(<16.2 $\AA$) was smaller than that of directly measured value by the tunneling electron microscopy. Our results may be caused by insufficient oxidation of Al precursor into $Al_2O_3$. However, double oxidized tunnel barriers were superior to conventional single tunnel barrier in uniformity and density. We found that the external magnetic field to switch spin direction of ferromagnetic layer of pinned layer breaking ferro-antiferro exchange coupling was increased as bottom layer oxidation time increased. Our results imply that we were able to improve MR ratio and tune switching field by employing double oxidized tunnel barrier process.

• 한국재료학회지
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• 제13권4호
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• pp.233-238
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• 2003

Ferromagnetic tunnel junctions, Ta/Cu/Ta/NiFe/Cu/$Mn_{75}$ $Ir_{25}$ $Co_{70}$ $Fe_{30}$/Al-oxide, were fabricated by do magnetron sputtering and plasma oxidation process. The effect of annealing temperature on the local transport properties of the ferromagnetic tunnel junctions was studied using contact-mode Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The current images reflected the distribution of the barrier height determined by local I-V analysis. The contrast of the current image became more homogeneous and smooth after annealing at $280^{\circ}C$. And the average barrier height $\phi_{ave}$ increased and its standard deviation $\sigma_{\phi}$ X decreased. For the cases of the annealing temperature more than $300^{\circ}C$, the contrast of the current image became large again. And the average barrier height $\phi_{ave}$ decreased and its standard deviation $\sigma_{\phi}$ increased. Also, the current histogram had a long tail in the high current region and became asymmetric. This result means the generation of the leakage current that is resulted from the local generation of a low barrier height region. In order to obtain the high tunnel magnetoresistance(TMR) ratio, the increase of the average barrier height and the decrease of the barrier height fluctuation must be strictly controlled.led.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.1-6
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• 2003

The new class of $Gd_5(Si_xGe_{1-x})_4$ compounds undergoes a simultaneous magnetic/structural phase transition giving a high level of strain that can be induced either by change in temperature or by application of a magnetic field. Profound changes of structural, magnetic, and electronic changes occur in the $Gd_5(Si_xGe_{1-x})_4$ system lead to extreme behavior of the material such as the giant magnetocaloric effect, colossal magnetostriction, and giant magnetoresistance. These unique material characters can be utilized for various applications including magnetic solid refrigerants, sensors, and actuators.

• 한국자기학회지
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.79-85
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• 1998

e-beam evaporator로 [Ni80Fe20/Cu/Co/Cu] 다층박막을 증착하여 자성층 사이의 교환 결합 상태에 따라 Co를 Ni80Fe20/Cu 계면에 삽입, 자기 저항비와 자기 저항비와 자화 곡선의 변화를 연구하였다. 강자성 결합 및 비 결합에서는, 계면에 Co를 삽입하게 되면, 자기 저한 값이 증가하지만 반강자성 결합에서는 자기 저항 값이 감소하는 경향이 보였다. 이러한 원인은 계면에 삽입되는 Co가 계면 산란을 증가시키는 것 뿐만 아니라 자성층 간의 교환 결합상태를 변화 시키기 때문에 것으로 판단된다. 아울러 계면에 삽입된 Co는 박막의 다층 구조를 30$0^{\circ}C$ 이상까지 유지시키며 이는 Cork 효과적인 확산 장애물(diffusion barrier)역할을 하기 때문으로 판단된다.

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2013년도 제44회 동계 정기학술대회 초록집
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• pp.387-387
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• 2013

Currently, the flash memory and the dynamic random access memory (DRAM) have been used in a variety of applications. However, the downsizing of devices and the increasing density of recording medias are now in progress. So there are many demands for development of new semiconductor memory for next generation. Magnetic random access memory (MRAM) is one of the prospective semiconductor memories with excellent features including non-volatility, fast access time, unlimited read/write endurance, low operating voltage, and high storage density. MRAM is composed of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack and complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS). The MTJ stack consists of various magnetic materials, metals, and a tunneling barrier layer. Recently, MgO thin films have attracted a great attention as the prominent candidates for a tunneling barrier layer in the MTJ stack instead of the conventional Al2O3 films, because it has low Gibbs energy, low dielectric constant and high tunneling magnetoresistance value. For the successful etching of high density MRAM, the etching characteristics of MgO thin films as a tunneling barrier layer should be developed. In this study, the etch characteristics of MgO thin films have been investigated in various gas mixes using an inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICPRIE). The Cl2/Ar, CH3OH/Ar, and CH4/Ar gas mix were employed to find an optimized etching gas for MgO thin film etching. TiN thin films were employed as a hard mask to increase the etch selectivity. The etch rates were obtained using surface profilometer and etch profiles were observed by using the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM).

• 한국자기학회지
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• 제16권6호
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• pp.276-278
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• 2006

스위칭 특성을 향상시키기 위하여 비정질 강자성 CoFeSiB 자유층을 갖는 자기터널접합 (MTJ)의 스위칭 특성을 연구하였다. 자기터널접합의 구조는 $Si/SiO_{2}/Ta$ 45/Ru 9.5/IrMn 10/CoFe 10/CoFe $7/AlO_{x}/CoFeSiB\;(t)/Ru\;60\;(nm)$이다. CoFeSiB는 $560\;emu/cm^{3}$의 낮은 포화자화도와 $2800\;erg/cm^{3}$의 높은 이방성 상수를 가졌다. 이러한 특성이 자기터널접합의 낮은 보자력($H_{c}$)과 높은 자장민감도를 갖게 한다. 이것은 또한 Landau-Lisfschitz-Gilbert 방정식에 근거한 미세자기 전산시뮬레이션을 통하여 submicrometersized elements에서도 확인하였다. CoFeSiB 자유층 두께를 증가함으로서 스위칭 특성은 반자화 자기장의 증가로 인하여 더욱더 나빠졌다.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.118-123
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• 2007

We have studied the effect of Au-Cu back layer system ${\sim}10{\AA}$ thick on the properties of a spin valve. The back layers were Cu, Au, co-sputtered $Cu_xAu_{1-x}$, laminated $[Au/Cu]_n$. and bi-layer [Au/Cu]. When Au was added to the Cu, the resistance of the spin valve abruptly increased most likely due to impurity scattering. The GMR values were not increased significantly for all the structures. In the case of co-sputtered $Cu_xAu_{1-x}$, the changes in the resistance, ${\Delta}R$, was increased at a composition of ${\sim}Au_{0.5}Cu_{0.5}$. This increase in ${\Delta}R$ is due to increase in the resistance and not from the enhanced spin-dependent scattering. The structural analyses showed that the orthorhombic $Au_{0.5}Cu_{0.5}$ was formed in the back layer instead of the face-centered tetragonal $Au_{0.5}Cu_{0.5}$ as we expected. Thermal annealing over $400^{\circ}C$ may be required to have face-centered tetragonal in the $10{\AA}$ thick ultra-thin film. In the case of a laminated or bi-layered back layer, the properties of the spin valve were improved, which may be attributed to the increase in the mean free path of conduction electrons.

• 한국자기학회지
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• 제14권6호
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• pp.224-227
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• 2004

교환결합된 NiFe/FeMn 이중박막에서 Laser 열처리를 통하여 국소적인 자화반전을 연구하였다. 600 G의 외부 자기장을 시편에 가하면서 DPSS Laser로 자화 반전시켰으며, 300 mW에서 15분 동안 국소적인 부분을 조사하였다. 국소적으로 자화반전 시킨 박막을 다시 원래 방향으로 역 반전시켜 자기저항(MR)곡선 피크가 감소된 것을 관찰하였다. 이는 직접적으로 Laser를 가한 박막의 손상과 계면에서 내부 확산에 의한 것으로 생각된다 국소적인 반전 자화의 자구구조는 MU을 통하여 관찰하였다. 자화반전 영역에서 새로운 자구벽을 형성하였으며, Laser가 조사된 영역근처에서 자구벽이 형성된 것을 관찰하였다.

• 한국자기학회지
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• 제9권6호
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• pp.291-295
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• 1999

IrMn을 반강자성체로 사용하고 순수한 Al을 자연산화시켜서 제작한 Al203를 절연층으로 사용한 spin-valve 형태의 NiFe/Co/Al2O3/Co/IrMn 터널링 접합의 자기저항효과를 조사하였다. IrMn의 두께가 약 100$\AA$이상일 경우 강자성체와의 교환상호작용이 발생하기 때문에 NiFe(183$\AA$)/Co(17$\AA$)/Al-oxide(16$\AA$)IrMn(100$\AA$) 터널링 접합에서 자기저항효과가 관찰되며 TMR비(%)는 $\pm$20 Oe의 인가자장에서 10% 이상의 값을 갖는다. 하부 자성층인 NiFe/Co의 길이방향으로 수행한 자장 중 열처리에 의해 저항은 다소 감소하고 TMR비(%)는 열처리온도에 따라 증가하여 20$0^{\circ}C$에서 23%의 최대값을 갖는다. 자성층의 폭을 변호시켜 접합면적을 달리한 시료의 TMR비(%)는 접합면적이 증가할수록 증가하고 저항은 감소한다.

• 한국자기학회지
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• 제9권6호
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• pp.296-300
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• 1999

DC 마그네트론 스퍼터링 방법으로 금속 마스크를 사용하여 십자형태로 substrate/Ta/NiFe/FeMn/NiFe/CoFe/Al2O3/CoFe/NiFe와 substrate/Ta/NiFe/CoFe/Al2O3/CoFe/NiFe/FeMn/NiFe 스핀 터널링 접합 구조를 제조하였다. 이러한 구조에서 절연층(Al2O3)의 형성조건과 각 층의 두께와 파워에 대한 증착율에 변화를 주어 24.3%의 자기 저항비를 얻었다. 두 종류의 구조에 대한 자기적 특성 비교와 Corning glass 7059와 Si(111) 기판의 종류에 따른 결과를 비교하였으며 소자 제조때 수반되는 온도변화에 대한 특성변화를 알아보고자 열처리를 하였다. 열처리 결과 자기 저항비는 15$0^{\circ}C$까지는 어느 정도 일정한 값을 유지하다가 18$0^{\circ}C$ 열처리 후 갑자기 감소하는 결과를 얻었다.