• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.230-233
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• 2003

This study describes the conceptual design of a soft x-ray microscope system based on a laserbased source for biomedical application with high resolution (${\leq}$50nm). The laboratory scale soft x-ray microscope consists of high power laser plasma x-ray source and grazing incidence mirrors with high reflectivity. The laser plasma source used for developing this system employs Q-switched Nd-YAG pulsed laser. The laser beam is focused on a tantalum (Ta) target. The Wolter type I mirror was used as condenser optics for sample illumination and as objective mirror for focusing on a detector. The fabrication of the Wolter type I mirror was direct internal cutting using ultraprecision DTM. A hydrated biological specimen was put between the two silicon wafers, the center of which was $Si_3N_4$ windows of 100㎚ thickness. The main issues in the future development work are to make a stable, reliable and reproducible x-ray microscope system.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.690-693
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• 2003

Soft x-ray microscopy provides a unique set of capabilities in-between those of visible light and electron microscopy. It has long been recognized that nature provides a 'water window' spectral region between the K shell x-ray absorption edges of carbon (~290eV) and oxygen (~540eV), where organic materials show strong absorption and phase contrast, while water is relatively non-absorbing. This enables imaging of hydrated biological specimens that are several microns thick with high intrinsic contrast using x-rays with a wavelength of 2.3~4.4nm. Soft X-ray microscopy is therefore well suited to the study of specimens like single biological cells. The most direct advantage of X-ray microscope is their high spatial resolution when compared with visible light microscopes, combined with an ability to image hydrated specimens that are several microns with a minimum of preparation. Our study describes the conceptual design of soft x-ray microscope system based on a laser-based source for biomedical application with high resolution ($\leq$50nm) and short exposure time ($\leq$30sec).

• Current Applied Physics
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1174-1181
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• 2018

In nanomagnetism, one of the crucial scientific questions is whether magnetic behaviors are deterministic or stochastic on a nanoscale. Apart from the exciting physical issue, this question is also of paramount highest relevance for using magnetic materials in a wealth of technological applications such as magnetic storage and sensor devices. In the past, the research on the stochasticity of a magnetic process has been mainly done by macroscopic measurements, which only offer ensemble-averaged information. To give more accurate answer for the question and to fully understand related underlying physics, the direct observation of statistical behaviors in magnetic structures and magnetic phenomena utilizing advanced characterization techniques is highly required. One of the ideal tools for such study is a full-field soft X-ray microscope since it enables imaging of magnetic structures on the large field of view within a few seconds. Here we review the stochastic behaviors of various magnetic processes including magnetization reversal process in thin films, magnetic domain wall motions in nanowires, and magnetic vortex formations in nanodisks studied by full-field soft X-ray microscopy. The origin triggering the stochastic nature witnessed in each magnetic process and the way to control the intrinsic nature are also discussed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2003.03a
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• pp.773-780
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• 2003

The characteristics of soft clays is very important for the land development plan. This study is to investigate correlations between the engineering properties and the characteristics of clay minerals of the disturbed clay samples obtained from Sihwa area. This study included X-Ray Diffraction Analysis, X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer Analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy Analysis and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometer Analysis. The correlations between the clay mineral properties and the laboratory and field testing results were investigated.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.235-243
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• 2008

A compact soft x-ray microscope operated in the 'water window' wavelength region ($2.3{\sim}4.4nm$) was used for observing cells with nano-scale spatial resolution. To obtain cellular imaging captured with colloidal gold nanoparticles using a compact soft x-ray microscope. The colloidal gold nanoparticles showed higher contrast and lower transmission more than 7 times than that of cellular protein on the soft x-ray wavelength region. The structure and thickness of the cell membrane of the Coscinodiscus oculoides (diatome) and red blood cells were seen clearly. The gold nanoparticles within the HT1080 and MDA-MB 231 cells were seen clearly on the soft x-ray microscopy. The gold nanoparticles were aggregated within vesicles by endocytosis.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.155-166
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• 2004

The characteristics of soft clays are very important for the land development plan. This study is to investigate correlations between the engineering properties and the characteristics of clay minerals of the undisturbed clay samples obtained from Sihwa area. This study included X-Ray diffraction analysis, X-Ray fluorescence spectrometer analysis, scanning electron microscopy analysis and energy dispersive X-Ray spectrometer analysis. The correlations between the clay mineral properties and the laboratory and field testing results were investigated. The characteristics of soft clay in Sihwa area were compared with those in Yangsan and Kunsan area.

• Proceedings of the Optical Society of Korea Conference
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• 2005.02a
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• pp.264-265
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• 2005

In this paper the conceptual design and development of a compact vertical type soft x-ray microscope is described. This x-ray microscope operates in the water window wavelength region(2.3 ${\sim}$ 4.4nm), where natural contrast between carbon(protein) and oxygen(water) allows imaging of unstained biological material their natural, hydrated environment. Until now, operational x-ray microscopes are based on synchrotron radiation sources, which limit their accessibility. Many biologists would benefit from having the x-ray microscope as a tool among other tools in their own laboratory, For this purpose we introduced the compact vertical type soft X-ray microscope with 50 nm resolution for biomedical application. The compact vertical type soft x-ray microscope is based on a laser plasma x-ray source, doubled ellipsoidal condenser reflective optics, diffractive zone plate optics and MCP coupled with CCD to record an x-ray image.

• Current Applied Physics
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1201-1204
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• 2018

The effect of electric current pulses on a sub-100 nm magnetic bubble state in a symmetric Pt/Co multilayer was directly observed using a full-field transmission soft X-ray microscope (MTXM). Field-induced evolution of the magnetic stripe domains into isolated bubbles with their sizes down to 100 nm was imaged under varying external magnetic fields. Electric current pulses were then applied to the created magnetic bubbles, and it was observed that the bubbles could be either created or annihilated by the current pulse depending on the strength of applied magnetic field. The results suggest that the Joule heating plays a critical role in the formation and/or elimination of the bubbles and skyrmions. Finally, the schematic phase diagram for the creation and annihilation of bubbles is presented, suggesting an optimized scheme with the combination of magnetic field and electric current necessary to utilize skyrmions in the practical devices.

• Current Applied Physics
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1185-1189
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• 2018

Thickness-dependent magnetic domain structure of ultrathin Co wedge films (0.3 nm-1.0 nm) sandwiched by Pt layers was investigated by scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM) employing X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), utilizing elliptically polarized soft x-rays and electromagnetic fields, with a spatial resolution of 50 nm. The magnetic domain images measured at the Co $L_3$ edge showed the evolution of the magnetic domain structures from maze-like form to the bubble-like form as the perpendicular magnetic field was applied. The asymmetric domain expansion of a 500 nm-scale bubble domain was also measured when the in-plane and perpendicular external magnetic field were applied simultaneously.

• 한국전자현미경학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.39-42
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• 2001