• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.272-277
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• 2001

A spin valve structure of Ta/NiFe/CoFe/Cu/CoFe/Ru/CoFe/FeMn/Ta which has a synthetic antiferromagnet (CoFe/Ru/CoFe), was fabricated by using a magnetron sputtering system. The thickness and composition of magnetic free and pinned layers affect the magnetic properties such as exchange interaction strength of each layer and so on. Even though Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) has advantages of quantitative and non-destructive analysis, it is almost impossible to determine the thickness and composition of magnetic thin films using lBS because of its poor mass resolution for a higher atom number (Z>20). In this study, quantitative analysis of the element composition and thickness for the spin valve sample was performed by combining both Proton Induced X-ray Emission Spectrometry (PIXE), which is one of element specific analysis techniques, and grazing-exit RBS with a highly improved depth resolution and absolute quantitative analysis. For the quantitative analysis, standardization of PIXE was carried out with NiFe, CoFe, and FeMn layers, which are one of constituent layers of spin valve films. Through PIXE standardization and the aid of PHE experimental results of the spin valve sample, ire overlapped signal in a grazing-exit RBS spectrum were successfully resolved and the thickness of the Ru layer was determined with a resolution of ∼1 .

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.52-59
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• 2004

As deposited and annealed MTJs with the structure of $Ta(5 nm)/Cu(10 nm)/Ta(5 nm)/Ni_{80}Fe_{20}(2 nm)/Cu(5 nm)/ Ir_{25}Mn_{75}(10 nm)/Co_{70}Fe_{30}(2.5 nm)/Al-O/Co_{70}Fe_{30}(2.5nm)/Ni_{80}Fe_{20}(t)/Ta(5nm)/Ni_{80}Fe_{20}(t)/Ta(5 nm)$, where t=10, 30, 60 and 100 nm were characterized by XRD and magnetic hysteresis loops measurements. The XRD measurements were done in grazing incidence $(GID scan-2{\theta})$ and ${\theta}-2{\theta}$ geometry, by rocking curve $(scan-{\omega})$ and pole figures in order to establish correlation between texture and crystallites size and magnetic parameters of exchange biased and interlayer coupling. The variations of shifting and coercivity field of free and pinned layers after annealing in $300^{\circ}C$ correlate with the improvement of ［111］ texture and grains size of $Ni_{80}Fe_{20}$ and $Ir_{25}Mn_{75}$ respectively. The exchange biased and the coercivity fields of the pinned layer linearly increased with increasing grain size of $Ir_{25}Mn_{75}$, The reciprocal proportionality between interlayer coupling and coercivity fields of the free layer and grain size of $Ni_{80}Fe_{20}$ was found. The enhancement of interlayer coupling between pinned and free layers, after annealing treatment, indicates on the correlated in-phase roughness of dipolar interacting interfaces due to increase of crystallites size of $Ni_{80}Fe_{20}$.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.132-135
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• 2011

The exchange bias field ($H_{EX}$) and the coercivity ($H_C$) variation and change depending on the thickness of intermediately super-soft magnetic NiFeCuMo layer with different thickness of the bottom NiFe layer were investigated. The $H_{EX}$ of triple pinned NiFe(4 nm)/NiFeCuMo($t_{NiFeCuMo}$= 1 nm)/NiFe(4 nm)/FeMn multilayer has the maximum value more less than one of single pinned NiFe(8 nm)/FeMn layer. If NiFeCuMo layer is inserted each into between the pinned and free NiFe layers, we can be used as GMR-SV device for a bio-sensor that has improved magnetic sensitivity.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 2017

The magnetoresistance (MR) properties of antiferromagnetic (AFM) IrMn based giant magnetoresistance-spin valve (GMR-SV) was investigated in view point of the artificial rotation effect of ferromagnetic (FM) layer in the plane induced by an applied field during the post annealing temperature. The MR curves measured with an azimuthal angle region of ${\phi}=0^{\circ}-360^{\circ}$ are depended on the annealing temperature and the magnetization easy axis of two free NiFe layers and two pinned NiFe layers in dual-type GMR-SV film. Especially, the annealing temperature and sample rotation angle(${\theta}$ ) maintained to the magnetic sensitivity (MS) of 1.4 %/Oe with an isotropic region angle of $110^{\circ}$ are $100^{\circ}C$ and $90^{\circ}$, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.211-216
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• 2001

Top synthetic spin valves wi th structure Ta/NiFe/CoFe/Cu/CoFe(Pl)/Ru/CoFe(P2)/FeMn/Ta on Si (100) substrate with SiO$_2$ of 1500 were prepared by dc magnetron sputtering system. We have changed only the thickness of the free layer and the thickness difference (Pl-P2) in the two ferromagnetic layers separated by Ru, and investigated the effect of magnetic film thickness on the GMR properties and the interlayer coupling field in a spin valve with a synthetic antiferromagnet. As thickness difference of pinned layer was decreased from +25 to -25 , MR ratio was decreased gradually. However, there was a dip zone indicating a big change of MR ratio around Pl = P2, which can be due to the large canting of pinned layers. The modified Neel model was suggested for the top synthetic spin valve to explain the interlayer coupling field according to the thickness change of ferromagnetic layers. The interlayer coupling field was decreased due to the magnetostatic coupling (orange peel coupling) as suggested by model. However, the interlayer coupling field was not explained at the dip zone by the modified Neel model. The deviation of modified Neel model at the dip zone could be due to the largely canting of the pinned layers as well, which depends on different thickness in synthetic antiferromagnetic structure.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.132-141
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• 2001

The switching characteristics and the magnetization-flop behavior in magnetic tunnel junctions exchange biased by synthetic antiferromagnets (SyAFs) are investigated by using a computer simulations based on a single-domain multilayer model. The bias field acting on the free layer is found to be sensitive to the thickness of neighboring layers, and the thickness dependence of the bias field is greater at smaller cell dimensions due to larger magnetostatic interactions. The resistance to magnetization flop increases with decreasing cell size due to increased shape anisotropy. When the cell dimensions are small and the synthetic antiferromagnet is weakly, or not pinned, the magnetization directions of the two layers sandwiching the insulating layer are aligned antiparallel due to a strong magnetostatic interaction, resulting in an abnormal magneto resistance (MR) change from the high-MR state to zero, irrespective of the direction of the free-layer switching. The threshold field for magnetization-flop is found to increase linearly with increasing antiferromagnetic exchange coupling in the synthetic antiferromagnet. Irrespective of the magnetic parameters and cell sizes, magnetization flop does not exist near zero applied field, indicating that magnetization flop is driven by the Zeeman energy.

• Proceedings of the Korean Magnestics Society Conference
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.219-219
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• 2009

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.96-100
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• 1997

A spin valve structure of NiO(40 nm)/Co(2 nm)/Cu(2.6 nm)/Co(x nm)/Ta(5 nm) has been investigated for the application of magnetic random access memory (MRAM). The spin valve structure exhibited very large difference in the coercivities between pinned and free layers, a relatively high GMR ratio, and a low free layer coercivity. The spin valves were prepared by sputtering and were characterized by dc 4-point probe, and VSM. The spin valves with combined free layer exhibited a maximun GMR ratio of 10.4% with a free layer coercivity of about 82 Oe. The spin valves with a single 10 nm thick a-CoNbZr free layer exhibited a GMR ratio of about 4.3% with a free layer coercivity of about 12 Oe. The GMR ratio of the spin valves increased by addition of Co between Cu and a-CoNbZr. It has been confirmed that the coercivity of free layer can be decreased by increasing the thickness of a-CoNbZr. It has been confirmed that the coercivity of free layer can be decreased by increasing the thickness of a-CoNbZr layer without losing the GMR ratio substantially, which was mainly due to high resistivity of the amorphous "layers".

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.60-64
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• 2004

In this paper calculations of magnetisation and magnetoresistance characteristics of the Spin Valve (SV) and Pseudo Spin Valve (PSV) spintronics structures are reported and compared with the experimental data. The magnetisation reversal process was analysed with respect to the Stoner- Wohlfahrt model of total surface energy in terms of uniaxial anisotropy, exchange coupling between ferromagnetic layers, unidirectional exchange anisotropy of pinned layer (modelled by exchange coupling between magnetisation of pinned layer and net magnetisation of antiferromagnetic layer with high anisotropy). The numerical simulation of the model to the experimental magnetisation data yielded the above parameters for SV and PSV structures. These parameters were used to more sophistically micromagnetic modelling tool originating from the project called Object Oriented Micromagnetic Framework. Influence of the shape anisotropy of the Magnetic Tunnelling Junction cell used in MRAM was simulated by means of micromagnetic simulations. Results were compared to those obtained from the spot Kerr measurements.

• 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 $t=130\;{\AA}$.