• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.108-110
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• 2006

We successfully enhanced the performance of a spin valve by inserting an ultra-thin layer of partially oxidized Fe in the pinned and free layers. With the exchange bias field kept large, the spin valve reached a GMR of 12%, which corresponded to a 55% increase in GMR when we compared it with that of spin valves without any inserted layer. The layer of partially oxidized Fe was more effective for improving the properties of the spin valve than the layer of partially oxidized $Co_{90}Fe_{10}$. Considering all the results, we can contribute the significant improvement to the combined effect of the modified local electronic structures at the Fe impurities and theenhanced spin-dependent reflections at the $\alpha-Fe_{2}O_{3} phase in the magnetic layer.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.253-258
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• 2009

Mn-substituted $BiFeO_3$(BFO) thin films were prepared by r.f. magnetron sputtering under an Ar/$O_2$ mixture of various deposition pressures at room temperature. The effects of the deposition pressure and annealing temperature on the crystallization and electrical properties of BFO films were investigated. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that BFO films were crystallized for films annealed above $500^{\circ}C$. BFO films annealed at $550^{\circ}C$ for 5 min in $N_2$ atmosphere exhibited the crystallized perovskite phase. The (Fe+Mn)/Bi ratio decreased with an increase in the deposition pressure due to the difference of sputtering yield. The grain size and surface roughness of films increased with an increase in the deposition pressure. The dielectric constant of BFO films prepared at various conditions shows $127{\sim}187$ at 1 kHz. The leakage current density of BFO films annealed at $500^{\circ}C$ was approximately two orders of magnitude lower than that of $550^{\circ}C$. The leakage current density of the BFO films deposited at $10{\sim}30\;m$ Torr was about $5{\times}10^{-6}{\sim}3{\times}10^{-2}A/cm^2$ at 100 kV/cm. Due to the high leakage current, saturated P-E curves were not obtained in BFO films. BFO film annealed at $500^{\circ}C$ exhibited remnant polarization(2Pr) of $26.4{\mu}C/cm^2$ at 470 kV/cm.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.601-606
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• 2009

$BiFeO_3$ (BFO) thin films were prepared on $Pt/TiO_2/Si$ substrate by r.f. magnetron sputtering. The effects of deposition pressure on electrical properties were investigated using measurement of dielectric properties, leakage current and polarization. When BFO targets were prepared, Fe atoms were substituted with Mn 0.05% to increase electrical resistivity of films. (Fe+Mn)/Bi ratio of BFO thin films increases with increasing partial pressure of $O_2$ gas. The deposited films showed the only BFO phase at 10 mTorr, the coexistence of BFO and $Bi_2O_3$ phase at 30-50 mTorr, and the only $Bi_2O_3$ phase at 70 mTorr. The crystallinity of BFO films was reduced due to the higher Bi contents and the decrease of surface mobility of atoms at high temperature. The porosity and surface roughness of films increased with the increase of the deposition pressure. The films deposited at high pressure showed low dielectric constant and high leakage current. The dielectric constant of films deposited at various deposition pressures was 84${\sim}$153 at 1 kHz. The leakage current density of the films deposited at 10${\sim}$70 mTorr was about $7{\times}10.6{\sim}1.5{\times}10.2A/cm^2$ at 100 kV/cm. The leakage current was found to be closely related to the morphology and composition of the BFO films. BFO films showed poor P-E hysteresis loops due to high leakage current.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.616-619
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• 2012

Oxides possess several interesting properties, such as ferroelectricity, magnetism, superconductivity, and multiferroic behavior, which can effectively be used oxide electronics based on epitaxially grown heterostructures. The microscopic properties of oxide interfaces may have a strong impact on the electrical transport properties of these heterostructures. It was recently demonstrated that high electrical conductivity and mobility can be achieved in the system of an ultrathin $LaAlO_3$ film deposited on a $TiO_2$-terminated $SrTiO_3$ substrate, which was a remarkable result because the conducting layer was at the interface between two insulators. In this study, we observe that the current-voltage characteristics exhibit $LaAlO_3$ thickness dependence of electrical conductivity in $TiO_2$-terminated $SrTiO_3$. We find that the $LaAlO_3$ layers with a thickness of up 3 unit cells, result in highly insulating interfaces, whereas those with thickness of 4 unit cells and above result in conducting interfaces.