• KEPCO Journal on Electric Power and Energy
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.93-96
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• 2022

The boiler tubes of thermal power plants are exposed to harsh environment of high temperature and high pressure, and the deterioration state of materials rapidly increases. In particular, parent material and welds of the materials used are subjected to a temperature change and various constraints, resulting in deformation and its growth, resulting in frequent leakage accidents caused by tube failure. The power plant checks the integrity of boiler tubes through non-destructive testing as it may act as huge costs loss and limitation of power supply during power station shutdown period due to boiler tube leakage. However, the current non-destructive testing is extremely limited in the field to detect micro cracks. In this study, the ability of metal magnetic memory technique to detect flaws of size that are difficult to inspect by the visual or general non-destructive methods was verified in the early stage of their occurrence.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.601-614
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• 2015

The Metal Magnetic Memory (MMM) method is a non-destructive testing method based on an analysis of the self-magnetic leakage field distribution on the surface of a component. It is used for determining the stress concentration zones or any irregularities on the surface or inside the components fabricated from ferrous-based materials. Thus, this paper presents the MMM signal behaviour due to the application of fatigue loading. A series of MMM data measurements were performed to obtain the magnetic leakage signal characteristics at the elastic, pre-crack and crack propagation regions that might be caused by residual stresses when cyclic loadings were applied onto the A283 Grade C steel specimens. It was found that the MMM method was able to detect the defects that occurred in the specimens. In addition, a justification of the Self Magnetic Flux Leakage patterns is discussed for demonstrating the effectiveness of this method in assessing the A283 Grade C steel under cyclic loadings.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.348-349
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• 2005

An electromagnetic memory effect observed in superconducting YBCO system was studied. From the measurement of differential conductance, it was cleared that the mechanism of electromagnetic memory can not be explained by using conventional flux flow model. By changing the density of external magnetic flux, changes in inductance of a coil in which a superconducting bar is inserted were also measured. It was concluded that the electromagnetic memory effect aries from the interaction between the trapped magnetic flux and the weak link of the filament formed in the superconducting bar.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.45 no.8
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• pp.1-10
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• 2008

In this paper, we describe a design of a 128bit MRAM based on a new switching architecture which is Local Field Switching(LFS). LFS uses a local magnetic field generated by the current flowing through an MTJ. This mode reduces the writing current since small current can induce large magnetic field because of close distance between MTJ and the current. It also improves the cell selectivity over using conventional MTJ architecture because it doesn't need a digit line for writing. The MRAM has 1-Transistor 1-Magnetic Tunnel Junction (IT-1MTJ) memory cell structure and uses a bidirectional write driver, a mid-point reference cell block and a current mode sense amplifier. CMOS emulation cell is adopted as an LFS-MTJ cell to verify the operation of the circuit without the MTJ process. The memory circuit is fabricated using a $0.18{\mu}m$ CMOS technology with six layers o) metal and tested on custom board.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2002.02a
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• pp.135-135
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• 2002

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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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).

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.37-39
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• 2004

Polycrystalline Ni-Mn-Ga films have been deposited onto mica substrates held at 720 K by flash-evaporation method. At room temperature the films have a tetragonal structure with a = b = 0.598 and c = 0.576 nm typical for bulk $Ni_2MnGa$ below a martensitic transformation. Temperature measurements of ferromagnetic resonance reveal a martensitic phase transformation at 310 K. The transformation brings about a substantial decrease in the effective magnetization and a drastic increase in the ferromagnetic resonance linewidth due to a strong increase in the magnetic anisotropy in the martensitic phase.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.408-408
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• 2012

It is well known that magnetic random access memory (MRAM) is nonvolatile memory devices using ferromagnetic materials. MRAM has the merits such as fast access time, unlimited read/write endurance and nonvolatility. Although DRAM has many advantages containing high storage density, fast access time and low power consumption, it becomes volatile when the power is turned off. Owing to the attractive advantages of MRAM, MRAM is being spotlighted as an alternative device in the future. MRAM consists of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack and complementary metal- oxide semiconductor (CMOS). MTJ stacks are composed of various magnetic materials. FePt thin films are used as a pinned layer of MTJ stack. Up to date, an inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICPRIE) method of MTJ stacks showed better results in terms of etch rate and etch profile than any other methods such as ion milling, chemical assisted ion etching (CAIE), reactive ion etching (RIE). In order to improve etch profiles without redepositon, a better etching process of MTJ stack needs to be developed by using different etch gases and etch parameters. In this research, influences of $O_2$ gas on the etching characteristics of FePt thin films were investigated. FePt thin films were etched using ICPRIE in $CH_4/O_2/Ar$ gas mix. The etch rate and the etch selectivity were investigated in various $O_2$ concentrations. The etch profiles were studied in varying etch parameters such as coil rf power, dc-bias voltage, and gas pressure. TiN was employed as a hard mask. For observation etch profiles, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was used.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1849-1860
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• 1994

Domain wall dynamics in thin film of amorphous Rare Earth-Transistion Metal alloys were investigated using numerical integration of the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. The thin film was divided into a two-dimensional square lattice ($30\times30$) of dipoles. Nearest-neighbor exchange interaction magnetic anisotropy, applied magnetic field, and demagnetiing field of interacting anisotropy, applied magnetic field, and demagnetizing field of interacting dipoles were considered. It was assumed that the film had perfect uniaxial anisotropy in the perpendicular direction and the magnetization reversal existed in the film. The time of domain wall creation and the thickness of the wall were investigated. Also the motion of domain walls under an applied field was considered. Simulation results showed that the time of domain wall creation was decreased significantly and the average velocity of domain wall was increased somewhat when the demagnetizing field was considered.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.167-167
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• 2011

Magnetic random access memory (MRAM) is one of the prospective semiconductor memories for next generation. It has the excellent features including nonvolatility, fast access time, unlimited read/write endurance, low operating voltage, and high storage density. MRAM consists of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack and complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS). The MTJ stack is composed of various magnetic materials, metals, and a tunneling barrier layer. For the successful realization of high density MRAM, the etching process of magnetic materials should be developed. Among various magnetic materials, FePt has been used for pinned layer of MTJ stack. The previous etch study of FePt magnetic thin films was carried out using $CH_4/O_2/NH_3$. It reported only the etch characteristics with respect to the variation of RF bias powers. In this study, the etch characteristics of FePt thin films have been investigated using an inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etcher in various etch chemistries containing $CH_4$/Ar and $CH_4/O_2/Ar$ gas mixes. TiN thin film was employed as a hard mask. FePt thin films are etched by varying the gas concentration. The etch characteristics have been investigated in terms of etch rate, etch selectivity and etch profile. Furthermore, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is applied to elucidate the etch mechanism of FePt thin films in $CH_4$/Ar and $CH_4/O_2/Ar$ chemistries.