• Journal of Magnetics
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.24-31
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• 2003

The discoveries of antiferromagnetic coupling in Fe/Cr multilayers by Grunberg, the Giant Magneto Resistance by Fert and Grunberg and a large tunneling magnetoresistance at room temperature by Moodera have triggered enormous research on magnetic thin films and magnetoelectronic devices. Large opportunities are especially opened by the spin dependent tunneling resistance, where a strong dependence of the tunneling current on an external magnetic field can be found. We will briefly address important basic properties of these junctions like thermal, magnetic and dielectric stability and discuss scaling issues down to junction sizes below 0.01 $\mu\textrm{m}$$^2$with respect to single domain behavior, switching properties and edge coupling effects. The second part will give an overview on applications beyond the use of the tunneling elements as storage cells in MRAMs. This concerns mainly field programmable logic circuits, where we demonstrate the clocked operation of a programmed AND gate. The second 'unconventional' feature is the use as sensing elements in DNA or protein biochips, where molecules marked magnetically with commercial beads can be detected via the dipole stray field in a highly sensitive and relatively simple way.

• 대한전자공학회논문지SD
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• 제45권8호
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• pp.1-10
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• 2008

본 논문에서는 새로운 스위칭 방식인 LFS (Local Field Switching)을 이용하여 설계한 128비트 MRAM (Magnetoresistive Random Access Memo교)에 대해 기술하였다. LFS 방식은 MTJ (Magnetic Tunnel Junction)를 직접 통과해 흐르는 전류에 의해 형성되는 국소 자기장을 이용하여 MTJ의 극성을 변환시킨다. 이 방식은 MTJ와 전류의 거리가 가깝기 때문에 작은 전류로도 충분히 큰 자기장을 형성하므로 writing current가 적어도 된다. 또한 Digit Line이 없어도 되므로 half select disturbance가 발생하지 않아 기존 MTJ를 이용한 방식에 비해 셀 선택도가 우수하다. 설계한 MRAM은 IT(트랜지스터)-1MTJ의 메모리 셀 구조를 가지며 양방향 write driver와 mid-point reference cell block, current mode sense amplifier를 사용한다. 그리고 MTJ 공정 없이 회로 동작을 확인하기 위해 LFS-MTJ cell을 CMOS emulation cell로 대체하였다. 설계한 회로를 6 metal을 사용하는 $0.18{\mu}m$ CMOS 공정으로 구현하였고 제작된 chip을 custom board 상에서 테스트하여 동작을 확인하였다.

• 한국자기학회:학술대회 개요집
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• 한국자기학회 2000년도 International Symposium on Magnetics The 2000 Fall Conference
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• pp.5-32
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• 2000

MRAM, High performance MRAM using MTJS demostrated, fully integrated MTJ MRAM with CMOS circuits, write time ~2.3 nsec; read time ~3 nsec, Thermally stable up to ~350 C, Switching field distibution controlled by size & shape. Magnetic Tunnel Junction Properties, Magnetoresistance: ~50% at room temperature, enhanced by thermal treatment, Negative and Positive MR by interface modification, Spin Polarization: >55% at 0.25K, Insensitive ot FM composition, Resistance $\times$ Area product, ranging from ~20 to 10$^{9}$ $\Omega$(${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$)$^{2}$, Spin valve transistor, Tunnel injected spin polarization for "hot" electrons, Decrease of MTJMR at high bias originates from anode.

• 한국자기학회지
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.120-123
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• 2007

이 연구에서는 Ta 45/Ru 9.5/IrMn 10/CoFe $3/AlO_x$/자유층/$AlO_x$/CoFe 7/IrMn 10/Ru 60(nm) 구조를 갖는 이중장벽 자기터널접합(double-barrier magnetic tunnel junction: DMTJ)를 다루었다. 자유층은 $Ni_{16}Fe_{62}Si_8B_{14}\;7nm$, $Co_{90}Fe_{10}(fcc)$ 7 nm 및 $CoFet_1$/NiFeSiB $t_2$/CoFe $t_1$으로 구성하였으며 두께 $t_1,\;t_2$는 변화시켰다. 즉 TMR비와 RA를 개선하기 위하여 부분적으로 CoFe층을 대체할 수 있는 비정질 NiFeSiB층이 혼합된 자유층 CoFe/NiFeSiB/CoFe을 갖는 DMTJ를 연구하였다. NiFeSiB($t_1=0,\;t_2=7$)만의 자유층을 갖는 DMTJ는 터널자기저항(TMR)비 28%, 면적-저항곱(RA) $86k{\Omega}{\mu}m^2$, 보자력($H_c$) 11 Oe 및 층간 결합장($H_i$) 20 Oe를 나타내었다. $t_1=1.5,\;t_2=4$인 경우의 하이브리드 DMTJ는 TMR비 30%, RA $68k{\Omega}{\mu}m^2$ 및 $H_c\;11\;Oe$를 가졌으나 $H_i$는 37 Oe로 증가하였다. 원자현미경(AFM)과 투과전자현미경(TEM)측정을 통하여 NiFeSiB층 두께가 감소하면 $H_i$가 증가하는 것을 확인하였다. 비정질 NiFeSiB층이 두꺼워지면 보통 계면의 기복을 유도하는 원주형성장(columnar growth)를 지연시키는데 유효하였다. 그러나 NiFeSiB층이 얇으면 표면거칠기는 증가하고 전자기적 Neel 결합 때문에 Hi는 커졌다.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.99-101
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• 2012

Fluorescent yield X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy is useful for analyzing local structure of specific elements in matrices. We developed an XAFS apparatus with a 100-pixel superconducting tunnel junction (STJ) detector array with a high sensitivity and a high resolution for light-element dopants in wide-gap semiconductors. An STJ detector has a pixel size of $100{\mu}m$ square, and an asymmetric layer structure of Nb(300 nm)-Al(70 nm)/AlOx/Al(70 nm)-Nb(50 nm). The 100-pixel STJ array has an effective area of $1mm^2$. The XAFS apparatus with the STJ array detector was installed in BL-11A of High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Photon Factory (KEK PF). Fluorescent X-ray spectrum for boron nitride showed that the average energy resolution of the 100-pixels is 12 eV in full width half maximum for the N-K line, and The C-K and N-K lines are separated without peak tail overlap. We analyzed the N dopant atoms implanted into 4H-SiC substrates at a dose of 300 ppm in a 200 nm-thick surface layer. From a comparison between measured X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) spectra and ab initio FEFF calculations, it has been revealed that the N atoms substitute for the C site of the SiC lattice.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• 제7권3호
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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.

• 한국재료학회지
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• 제14권3호
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• pp.191-195
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• 2004

Tunnel junctions with AI-N barriers fabricated by microwave-excited plasma were studied. When the Al thickness, nitridation time, and annealing temperature were 1 nm (0.8 nm), 50 s (35 s), and $280^{\circ}C$ ($300^{\circ}C$), TMR ratio and resistance-area product (RA) were 49% (34%) and $3 ${\times}$ 10^4$ $\Omega$$\mu\m^2$ ($1.5 ${\times}$ 10^4$ $\Omega$$\mu\m^2$), respectively. In order to clarify the annealing temperature dependence of TMR ratio, the local transport properties were measured for Ta 5 nm/Cu 20 nm/Ta 5 nm$29_{76}$ $Fe_{24}$ 2 nm/Cu 5 nm/M $n_{75}$$Ir_{25}$ 10 nm/ $Co_{71}$ $Co_{29}$ 4nm/Al-N junction with Al thickness of 0.8 nm and nitridation time of 35s at various temperatures. The increase of TMR ratio after annealing at $300^{\circ}C$, where the TMR ratio of the corresponding MTJ had the maximum value of 34%, can be well explained by the enhancement of the average barrier height ($\Phi_{ave}$) and the reduction of its fluctuation. After further annealing at $340^{\circ}C$, the leakage current was observed and the TMR ratio decreaseded

• 대한전자공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한전자공학회 2004년도 하계종합학술대회 논문집(2)
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• pp.419-422
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• 2004

A sensing scheme for current-mode magneto-resistance random access memory (MRAM) with a 1T1MTJ cell structure is proposed. Magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) resistance, which is HIGH or LOW, is converted to different cell currents during READ operation. The cell current is then amplified to be evaluated by the reference cell current. In this scheme, conventional bit line sense amplifiers are not required and the operation is less sensitive to voltage noise than that of voltage-mode circuit is. It has been confirmed with HSPICE simulations using a 0.35-${\mu}m$ 2-poly 4-metal CMOS technology.

• 한국우주과학회:학술대회논문집(한국우주과학회보)
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• 한국우주과학회 2008년도 한국우주과학회보 제17권2호
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• pp.37.3-37.3
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• 2008

STJ(Superconducting Tunnel Junction) technique offers next generation photon detectors exhibiting high energy resolution, high quantum efficiency and photon counting ability over the broad wavelength range from X-ray to NIR. We report the succcess in fabrication of Ta/Al-AlOx-Al/Ta and Nb/Al-AlOx-Al/Nb micro structure deposited on sapphire substrates using various techniques including UV photolithography, DC Sputtering, RIE, and PECVD technique. The characterization experiment was undertaken in an Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator at an operating temperature below 50mK. The details of experimental investigations for electrical characterization of STJ of $20\sim80{\mu}m$ in side-lengths are discussed. The measured I-V curves were used to derive The detector performance indicators such as energy gap, energy resolution, normal resistance, normal resistivity, dynamic resistance, dynamic resistivity, and quality factor.

• 한국전기전자재료학회논문지
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• 제15권4호
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• pp.373-379
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• 2002

We investigated the evolution of magnetoresistance and magnetic property of tunneling magnetoresistive(TMR) device with microstructure and plasma oxidation time. TMR devices have potential applications for non volatile MRAM and high density HDD reading head. We prepared the tunnel magnetoresistance(TMR) devices of Ta($50{\AA}$)/NiFe($50{\AA}$)/IrMn($150{\AA}$)/CoFe($50{\AA}$)/Al($13{\AA}$)-O/CoFe($40{\AA}$)/FiFe($400{\AA}$)/Ta(($50{\AA}$) structure which have $100{\times}100\mu\textrm{m}^2$ junction area on $2.5{\times}2.5\textrm{cm}^2$ Si/$SiO_2$(($1000{\AA}$) substrates by an inductively coupled plasma(ICP) magnetron sputter. We fabricated the insulating layer using an ICP plasma oxidation method by with various oxidation time from 30 sec to 360 sec, and measured resistances and magnetoresistance(MR) ratios of TMR devices. We found that the oxidized sample for oxidation time of 80 sec showed the highest MR radio of 30.31 %, while the calculated value regarding inhomogeneous current effect indicated 25.18 %. We used transmission electron microscope(TEM) to investigate microstructural evolution of insulating layer. Comparing the cross-sectional TEM images at oxidation time of 150 sec and 360 sec, we found that the thickness and thickness variation of 360 sec-oxidized insulating layer became 30% and 40% larger than those of 150 sec-oxidized layer, repectively. Therefore, our results imply that increase of thickness variation with oxidation time may be one of the major treasons of the MR decrease.