• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.77-77
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• 2011

These days, a growing demand for memory device is filled up with the flash memory and the dynamic random access memory (DRAM). Although DRAM is a reasonable solution for current demand, the universal novel memory with high density, high speed and nonvolatility, needs to be developed. Among various new memories, the magnetic random access memory (MRAM) device is considered as one of good candidate memories because of excellent features including high density, high speed, low operating power and nonvolatility. The etching of MTJ stack which is composed of magnetic materials and insulator such as MgO is one of the vital process for MRAM. Recently, MgO has attracted great interest in the MTJ stack as tunneling barrier layer for its high tunneling magnetoresistance values. For the successful realization of high density MRAM, the etching process of MgO thin films should be investigated. Until now, there were some works devoted to the investigations on etch characteristics of MgO thin films. Initially, ion milling was applied to the etching of MgO thin films. However, ion milling has many disadvantages such as sidewall redeposition and etching damage. High density plasma etching containing the magnetically enhanced reactive ion etching and high density reactive ion etching have been employed for the improvement of etching process. In this work, inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICPRIE) system was adopted for the improvement of etching process using MgO thin films and etching gas mixes of $CH_4$/Ar and $CH_4$/$O_2$/Ar have been employed. The etch rates are measured by a surface profilometer and etch profiles are observed using field emission scanning emission microscopy (FESEM). The effects of gas concentration and etch parameters such as coil rf power, dc-bias voltage to substrate, and gas pressure on etch characteristics will be systematically explored.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.45 no.12
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• pp.1-7
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• 2008

Magnetic Tunneling Junction (MTJ) has been used as a nonvolatile universal storage element mainly in memory technology. However, according to several recent studies, magneto-logic using MTJ elements show much potential in substitution for the transistor-based logic device. Magneto-logic based on MTJ can maintain the data during the power-off mode, since an MTJ element can store the result data in itself. Moreover, just by changing input signals, the full logic functions can be realized. Because of its programmability, it can embody the reconfigurable magneto-logic circuit in the rigid physical architecture. In this paper, we propose a novel 3-bit arbitrary magneto-logic circuit beyond the simple combinational logic or the short sequential one. We design the 3-bit magneto-logic which has the most complexity using MTJ elements and verify its functionality. The simulation results are presented with the HSPICE macro-model of MTJ that we have developed in our previous work. This novel magneto-logic based on MTJ can realize the most complex logic function. What is more, 3-bit arbitrary logic operations can be implemented by changing gate signals of the current drivel circuit.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.121-126
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• 2011

Spin dynamics of magnetic tunnel junctions with free and fixed reference layers is investigated by ferromagnetic resonance micromagnetic simulations. First, in magnetic tunnel junctions with an exchange biased synthetic ferrimagnetic reference layer, a magnetization direction of each layer and the tunneling magnetoresistance are calculated for a DC magnetic field. To investigate the spin exciting modes in magnetic tunnel junctions, we simulate the ferromagnetic resonance frequency spectra with small RF magnetic fields. Exciting modes of the tunneling magnetoresistance calculated by an included angle between free and reference layers is interpreted from those of each layer. Spin exciting modes are different according to a signs of the DC magnetic field. In a negative magnetic field, FMR frequency spectra of free and reference layers are well elucidated by the modified Kittel's equation. However, in a positive magnetic field, there is no simple analytic solution related to FMR frequency spectra due to the coupled modes. Since ferromagnetic layers in magnetic tunnel junctions are interactive each other, careful considerations of the reference and fixed layer as well as the free layer are required for understanding on the spin dynamics of magnetic tunnel junctions with an exchange biased synthetic ferrimagnetic reference layer.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.110-114
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• 2000

We have investigated the Josephson vortex dynamics in $Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O{8+\delta}$ intrinsic Josephson junctions subjected to a magnetic field parallel to $CuO_2$ planes. We investigated mesas with $40\times40{\mu}m^2$ in size and containing 6 and 20. intrinsic junctions. The zero field I-V characteristics exhibited a typical hysteretic, multi-branched nature of the intrinsic Josephson effect. At high magnetic fields (H>1.5 T), I-V characteristics showed flux flow steps. The Swihart velocity obtained from this observation was about $4.2\times10^5$ m/s, which was the lowest mode electromagnetic wave velocity of N coupled stack. The experimental I-V curves fitted well into the simple model of Cherenkov radiation including Ohmic and non-linear dissipation terms. This suggests that the dissipation mechanism of Josephson vortex be due to both Cherenkov radiation and quasiparticle tunneling current.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.688-693
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• 2001

A series of Fe/CeO$_2$/Fe$_{75}$Co$_{25}$ tunnel junctions (Magnetic Tunnel Junction, MTJ) having CeO$_2$ barrier layers from 30 to 90$\AA$ in thickness were prepared by ion beam sputtering (IBS) method. In order to compare the properties of MTJs, Fe/Al oxide/Fe-Co tunnel junctions were also prepared. Some junctions with a CeO$_2$ barrier layer showed the ferromagnetic tunneling effect and the highest MR ratio at room temperature was 5%. The electric resistance of junctions with a CeO$_2$ barrier layer was higher that that of junctions with an Al oxide barrier. On the other hand, The interface analysis of the Fe/CeO$_2$ bilayer was conducted by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that CeO$_2$ was decomposed to Ce and $O_2$ during sputtering, and Fe was oxidized with these decomposed $O_2$ molecules. The reduction of both electric resistance and MR ratio may be associated with the decomposed Ce in the barrier layer.r.r.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 2013

A pulsed ferrite magnetic field generator (FMFG) was designed for the use in the 1000 m long through-the-earth (TTE) communication system for mining disaster situations. To miniaturize the TTE system, a ferrite core having 10,000 of permeability was used for the FMFG. Attenuation of the magnetic field intensity from the FMFG (200-turn and 0.18 m diameter) was calculated to be 89.95 dB at 1000 m depth soil having 0.1 S/m of conductivity. This attenuation was lower than 151.13 dB attenuation of 1 kHz electromagnetic wave at the same conditions. Therefore, the magnetic-field was found to be desirable as a signal carrier source for TTE communications as compared to the electromagnetic wave. The designed FMFG generates the magnetic field intensity of $1{\times}10^{-10}$ Tesla at 1000 m depth. This magnetic field is detectable by compact magnetic sensors such as flux gate or magnetic tunneling junction sensor. Therefore, the miniature FMFG TTE communication system can replace the conventional electromagnetic wave carrier type TTE system and allow reliable signal transmission between rescuer and trapped miners.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.17-21
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• 2005

We report the oscillation of the Josephson vortex-flow resistance in the rectangular stacks of $Bi_{2}Sr_{2}CaCu_{2}O_{8+x}$(Bi-2212) intrinsic Josephson junctions (IJJs). Apiece of Bi-2212 single crystal containing a few tens of IJJs was sandwiched between two gold electrodes and fabricated into a rectangular shape with the typical lateral size of about $1.5{\times}10\;{\mu}m^2$, using e-beam lithography and focused ion-beam etching techniques. In a tesla-range magnetic field applied in parallel with the junction planes, the oscillation of the Josephson vortex flow resistance was observed at temperatures near 60 K. The oscillation results from the interplay between the triangular Josephson vortex lattice and the potential barrier at the boundary of a single crystal. The oscillatory magnetoresistance for different bias currents, external magnetic fields, and the tilt-angles provides useful information on the dynamics of the coupled Josephson-vortex lattice system.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.60-60
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• 2011

Giant magnetoresistance (GMR), tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR), and magnetic random-access memory (MRAM) are currently active research areas in spintronics. The high magnetoresistance and the high spin polarization (P) of electrons in the ferromagnetic electrodes of tunnel junction or intermediate layers are required. Magnetite, Fe3O4, is predicted to possess as half-metallic nature, P ~ 100% spin polarization, and has a high Curie temperature (TC~850 K). Experiments demonstrated that the P~($80{\pm}5$)%, ~($60{\pm}5$)%, and ~40-55% for epitaxial (111), (110) and (001)-oriented Fe3O4 thin films, respectively. Epitaxial Fe3O4 films may enable us to investigate the effects of half metals on the spin transport without grain-boundary scattering.In addition, it has been reported that the Verwey transition (TV, a first order metal-insulator transition) of 120 K in bulk Fe3O4 is strongly affected by many parameters such as stoichiometry and stress, etc. Here we report that the growth modes, magnetism and transport properties of Fe3O4 thin films were strongly dependent on the oxygen pressure during film growth. The average roughness decreases from 1.021 to 0.263 nm for the oxygen pressure increase from $2.3{\times}10-7$ to $8.2{\times}10^{-6}$ Torr, respectively. The 120 K Verwey transition in Fe3O4 was disappeared for the sample grown under high oxygen pressure.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.72-79
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• 2002

Local M-H loops have been measured on the free layer of a tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) junction using the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) system, with an optical beam size of about 2 $\mu$m diameter. Tunnel junctions were deposited using the DC magnetron sputtering method in a chamber with a base pressure of 3$\times$10$^{-9}$ Torr. The relatively irregular variations of coercive force H$_c$(∼17.5 Oe) and unidirectional anisotropy field H$_{ua}$(∼7.5 Oe) in the as-deposited sample are revealed. After $200{^{\circ}C}$ annealing, He decreases to 15 Oe but H$_{ua}$ increases to 20 Oe with smooth local variations. Two-dimensional plots of H$_c$ and H$_{ua}$ show the symmetric saddle shapes with their axes aligned with the pinned layer, irrespective of the annealing field angle. This is thought to be caused by geometric effects during deposition, together with a minor annealing effect. In addition, the variation of root mean square (RMS) surface roughness reveals it to be symmetric with respect to the center of the pinned-layer axis, with the roughness of 2.5 $\AA$ near the edge and 5.8 $\AA$ at the junction center. Comparison of surface roughness with the variation of H$_{ua}$ suggests that the H$_{ua}$ variation of the free layer is well described by dipole interactions related to surface roughness. As a whole, the reversal magnetization is not uniform over the entire junction area and the macroscopic properties are governed by the average sum of local distributions.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.44 no.9
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• pp.10-17
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• 2007

It opens a new horizon on spintronics for the potential application of MTJ as a universal logic element, to employ the magneto-logic in substitution for the transistor-based logic device. The magneto-logic based on the MTJ element shows many potential advantages, such as high density, and nonvolatility. Moreover, the MTJ element has programmability and can therefore realize the full logic functions just by changing the input signals. This magneto-logic using MTJ elements can embody the reconfigurable circuit to overcome the rigid architecture. The established magneto-logic element has been designed and fabricated on a triple-layer MTJ. We present a novel magneto-logic structure that consists of a single layer MTJ and a current driver, which requires less processing steps with enhanced functional flexibility and uniformity. A 4-bit gray counter is designed to verify the magneto-logic functionality of the proposed single-layer MTJ and the simulation results are presented with the HSPICE macro-model of MTJ that we have developed.