• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.55-58
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• 2003

FeMn based spin valves often consist of a NiFe/FeMn/NiFe trilayer structure. We have investigated the evolution of exchange bias at the bottom and top interfaces in the NiFe(5nm)/FeMn(x)/NiFe(5nm) trilayer structure as a function of FeMn thickness in the range 3 nm to 30 nm. The XRD results indicate (111) textured growth for NiFe and FeMn layers. The magnetization studies using VSM show two hysteresis loops corresponding to the bottom NiFe seed layer and top NiFe layers with greater bias for the bottom NiFe layer, for FeMn thickness equal to and above 5 nm. The larger exchange bias for the bottom seed layer is confirmed by the surface sensitive MOKE hysteresis loop measurements which show gradual weakening of the MOKE hysteresis loop for the bottom NiFe layer with increasing FeMn thickness. The observed large exchange bias in a spin valve structure is usually attributed to the pinning NiFe layer on top of the FeMn layer, even when a NiFe seed layer of a few nm thickness is present, whereas, in reality it may be arising from the bottom seed layer, as shown by the present study.

• Proceedings of the Korean Magnestics Society Conference
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• 2003.12a
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• pp.265-265
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• 2003

• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.08a
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• pp.276-276
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• 2010

Large-area micropatterned array of Co/Ni bilayer anti-dots was fabricated using photolithography and wet etching process. The surface morphology as well as the surface topography was checked by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, whereas the magnetic properties were studied by magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) and magnetic force microscopy (MFM). Systematic studies of the magnetic-reversal mechanism, the in-plane anisotropy and the switching field properties were carried out. To get a comprehensive knowledge about the domain configuration, we also employed OOMMF simulations. It was found from the MOKE measurements that a combined effect of configurational and the magneto-crystalline anisotropy simultaneously works in such micropatterned bilayer structures. In addition, the inclusion of holes in the uniform magnetic film drastically affected the switching field. The MFM images show well-defined domain structures which are periodic in nature. The micromagnetic simulations indicate that the magnetization reversal of such a structure proceeds by formation and annihilation of domain walls, which were equally manifested by the field-dependent MFM images. The observed changes in the magnetic properties are strongly related to both the patterning that hinders the domain-wall motion and to the magneto-anisotropic bilayered structure.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.28-31
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• 2008

We studied the effect of easy magnetization axis orientation with respect to the strip direction by measuring the magnetoresistance(MR), the magneto-optic Kerr effect(MOKE), and real-time domain evolution. The five strips were patterned on a single chip with the easy axis orientation of each strip relative to the longitudinal direction by around $0^{\circ}$, $18^{\circ}$, $36^{\circ}$, $54^{\circ}$ and $72^{\circ}$, respectively. The overall shape of field dependent MR was mostly governed by the anisotropy magnetoresistnace. The relative change of the longitudinal MR was significantly increased with increasing angle between the easy axis and strip direction, whereas, the transverse MR variation rate was decreased with increasing angle. Several MR steps were observed during the magnetization reversal, and the simultaneous measurement of the MOKE and the domain images identified that the MR steps were associated with evolution of the oppositely directed magnetic domain.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.35-39
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• 2000

The correlation between the activation volumes of wall-motion and nucleation processes in Co/Pd multilayers has been investigated. Each activation volume was estimated from the field dependence of the wall-motion speed and the nucleation rate, respectively, based on time-resolved domain patterns grabbed by a MOKE microscope system. Both the activation volumes are changed in the same manner around $0.2\sim1.1\times10^{-17}cm^3$ with changes in the multilayered structure. Interestingly, the correlation between the activation volumes is sensitive to the multilayered structure; the wall-motion activation volume is smaller than the nucleation activation volume for a sample having a smaller number of repeats and a thinner Co-layer thickness, and vice versa. The correlation is closely related with the contrasting reversal modes; the process having the smaller activation volume dominates.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2000.02a
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• pp.161-161
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• 2000

Ferromagnetic 3d 전이금속과 paramagnetic 5d 금속으로 이루어지진 Pt-Co 계는 자기이방적 (magnetic anisotropy) 성질로 인하여 많은 관심을 모으고 있는 계로서는 다층박막 및 합금박막에 대한 지기적 성질에 대한 많은 연구가 있어 왔다. 최근 sputtering method 에 의해 제작된 Pt-Co 합금박막에 대해 Ar 기체분압에 따라 보자력 (coercivity)이 변화되고 PMA (perpendicular magnetic anisotropy)를 갖는 것을 관측하였다. PMA의 근원은 주로 계면에서의 anisotropy 에너지와 관련이 있는 것으로 이해되기 때문에 합금박막의 경우는 PMA가 불가능한 것으로 여겨져 왔다. 그럼으로서 PMA에 대한 근원에 대한 명확한 해석이 필요하게 되었다. 또한 보자력(coercivity)은 불순물의 함량이 감소할수록, 그리고 내부적 변형이 제거될수록 감소하기 때문에, 계면 및 결정구조와 관련이 있는 것으로 알려져 있다. 이러한 자기적 특성을 관찰하고자 [Pt(51 )/Co(112 )]4, [Pt(90 )/Co(66 )]4, 그리고 [Pt(121 )/Co(30 )]4, 다층박막과 이들 박막을 80kV Ar+ 이온선 혼합후 박막의 결정성 변화를 관찰하기 위하여 GXRD (glancing x-ray diffraction) 스펙트럼을 얻어보았다. 그 결과 세 system 모두 disordered fcc 합금박막임을 확인하였다. fcc(111) 방향에 대한 평균 격자공간(lattice spacing)의 크기변화는 한층 당의 Co 두께가 두꺼울수록 거의 선형적으로 감소함을 볼수 있었다. MOKE 실험에 의하면, 이들 다층박막이나 합금박막의 경우 모두, in-plane 방향에 대해 자화 용이축(easy magnetization axis)을 가지고 있었다. 그리고 보자력의 크기에 있어서, 다층 박막의 경우에 있어서 Co 층에 두께 두꺼울수록 보자력의 크기가 감소하였지만 그림1에서와 같이 합금박막의 경우는 정반대로 Co층의 두께가 얇을수록 보자력의 크기가 감소함을 관찰하였다.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.105-108
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• 2004

Array of magnetic Ni nanostructures has been fabricated on Si substrate by using nanoporous alumina film as a mask during deposition. The nanostructures are truncated cone-shape and the lateral sizes are comparable to height. While the continuous film shows well-defined in-plane magnetization, the nanostructure shows perpendicular component of magnetization at remanence. The hysterectic behavior of nanostructures is dominated by the demagnetizing field instead of interaction among them.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.366-366
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• 2010

Single crystalline Fe/NiO bilayers were epitaxially grown on Ag(001) and on MgO(001), and investigated by Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED), Magneto-Optic Kerr Effect (MOKE), and X-ray Magnetic Linear Dichorism (XMLD). We find that while the Fe film has an in-plane magnetization in both Fe/NiO/Ag(001) and Fe/NiO/MgO(001) systems, the NiO spins switch from out-of-plane direction in Fe/NiO/MgO(001) to in-plane direction in Fe/NiO/Ag(001). These two different NiO spin orientations generate remarkable different effects that the NiO induced magnetic anisotropy in the Fe film is much greater in Fe/NiO/Ag(001) than in Fe/NiO/MgO(001). XMLD measurement shows that the much greater magnetic anisotropy in Fe/NiO/Ag(001) is due to a 90o-coupling between the in-plane NiO spins and the in-plane Fe spins which causes a switching of the NiO spins during the Fe magnetization reversal.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.5 no.5
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• pp.561-566
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• 1995

Additional magnetooptical Kerr effect (AMOKE) was observed in several multilayer structures. For Fe/Pd and Co/Cu Multilayers, AMOKE enhanced the Kerr rotation in short wavelength side, while for Fe/Ag and FeSi/Cu multilayer systems the Kerr rotation enhancement appeared in long wavelength side. A number of ferromagnetic/nonmagnetic/ferromagnetic(FM/NM/FM) sandwiches showed that the AMOKE led to oscillations of Kerr rotation and Kerr ellipticity in certain wavelength range with changing NM layer thickness similar to the oscillatory interlayer coupling. The oscillation of effective optical constants related to the MOKE oscillation was observed for the first time. The mechanisms of the AMOKE were discussed.