• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.159-163
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• 2016

Antiferromagnet (AFM)/ferromagnet (FM) bilayer structures are widely used in the magnetic devices of sensor and memory applications, as AFM materials can induce unidirectional anisotropy of the FM material via exchange coupling. The strength of the exchange coupling is known to be sensitive to quality of the interface of the AFM/FM bilayers. In this study, we utilize proton irradiation to modify the interface structures and investigate its effect on the magnetic properties of AFM/FM structures, including the exchange bias and magnetic thermoelectric effect. The magnetic properties of IrMn/CoFeB structures with various IrMn thicknesses are characterized after they are exposed to a proton beam of 3 MeV and $1{\sim}5{\times}10^{14}ions/cm^2$. We observe that the magnetic moment is gradually reduced as the amount of the dose is increased. On the other hand, the exchange bias field and thermoelectric voltage are not significantly affected by proton irradiation. This indicates that proton irradiation has more of an influence on the bulk property of the FM CoFeB layer and less of an effect on the IrMn/CoFeB interface.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.36-41
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• 2000

We studied the exchange anisotropy of Ni-Fe/Co-Fe/Mn-Ir/Cu/buffer/Si multilayers using D.C magnetron sputtering technique. Generally, Ni-Fe/Mn-Ir/buffer(Cu)/Si multilayers cannot pin the ferromagnetic layer for the lower exchange biased field. We got $H_{ex}$ ex/ increased by two times, after using Cu/Ta as buffer layer to get larger grain size of Mn-Ir layer and inserting very thin Co-Fe layer between the Ni-Fe layer and the Mn-Ir layer to get improved grain-to-grain epitaxy relation at the interface between Ni-Fe layer and Mn-Ir layer. The variation of $H_{ex}$ by thickness of Mn-Ir layer in ferromagnete/Mn-Ir/buffer/Si multilayers is different to that in Mn-Ir/ferromagnete/buffer/Si multilayers, because the volume distribution of grain size of Mn-Ir layer and the exchange energy at the interface between the Mn-Ir and the ferromagnetic layers is different for stacking sequence.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 1996

To simulate the characteristics of magnetic exchange coupling at the interface of MR/TbCo thin films, the directions of magnetizations were calculated by minimizing energy in the films. Newton method and Gauss-Seidel method were used. The width of M-H curve increased with TbCo anisotropy constant, and with the thickness of the transition region of TbCo layer. Hysteresis loop width became extremely narrow (less than 10 Oe of coercivity), when the TbCo transition region length was $400\;\AA$. Also the hysteresis loop of films with low interfacial exchange coupling constant was similiar to that of short transition region length. When interfacial exchange coupling constant was 1/100 of perfect coupling, hysteresis loop showed a coercivity of less than 10 Oe. Comparing the measured hysteresis loop of a fabricated sample with that of simulated one, exchange coupling con¬stant could be estimated.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.146-148
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• 2003

Multilayered films of Co/Pd have been studied as a candidate material for a high density perpendicular recording medium due to higher anisotropy energy. However, high exchange coupling among grains results in large transition noise. To reduce the exchange coupling and grain size, addition of 3rd elements and physical separation of grains have been attempted. In the present paper, effects of sputtering pressure, Co sublayer thickness and Pd underlayer thickness on magnetic properties and microstructures were studied. It was found that by increasing sputtering pressure from 5 mTorr to 25 mTorr, Ms decreased to one half and coercivity increased more than 5000 Oe. The increase of the coercivity is associated with physical separation of grains by high pressure sputtering. Ms per volume of Co for Co/Pd multilayered film deposited at 25 mTorr shows continuous decrease with increasing Co sublayer thickness. This was related to void formation and intermixing of Co/Pd interface. Also, effect of Pd underlayer thickness on magnetic properties will be discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.184-188
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• 2002

The Cu/Ni/Cu(002)/Si(100) films which have perpendicular magnetic anisotropy were deposited by e-beam evaporation methods. From the reflection high energy electron diffraction pattern, the films were confirmed to be grown epitaxially on silicon. After 2X lots ions/$\textrm{cm}^2$ C+ irradiation, magnetic easy-axis was changed from surface normal to in-plane as shown in the hysteresis loop of magneto-optical Kerr effects. It became manifest from analysis of X-ray reflectivity and grazing incident X-ray diffraction that even though interface between top Cu layer and Ni layer became rougher, the contrast of Cu and Ni's electron density became manifest after ion irradiation. In addition, the strain after deposition of the films was relaxed after ion irradiation. Strain relaxation related with change of magnetic properties and mechanism of intermixed layer's formation was explained by thermo-chemical driving force due to elastic and inelastic collision of ions.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.298-304
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• 1993

The effects of the substrate temperature and the Pd underlayer on the structure and the magnetic properties of Pd/Co multilayer films prepared by the thermal evaporation were studied. As the substrate temperature increases up to $150^{\circ}C$, the crystallinity of sublayers, (111) texture and the interface sharpness of Pd/Co multilayers were improved due to the enhanced mobility of adatoms. As results of that, the perpendicular and surface anisotropy energies were increased but the coercivity was decreased because the pinning sites of domain wall decreased due to the grain growth. The grain size of the multilayers increased with Pd underlyer thickness. Thermal degradation was enhanced at above $200^{\circ}C$ due to interdiffusion at the Pd/Co interface. The intensity of the main diffraction peak rapidly decayed in the initial stage of aging and then decreased slowly. The rapid change of the intensity in the initial stage was speculated to be due to the structural relaxation phenomena and the later stage change was due to the interdiffusion. The activation energy for the interdiffusion in Pd4/Co1 multilayers was 14.9 KCal/mole.K.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.235-241
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• 1996

Co/Pd and Co/Pt multilayered thin films for perpendicular magnetic recording media were fabricated by sput¬tering method and the effects of the sputtering pressure during the formation of Pd or Pt underlayers on the magnetization behavior and coercivity of the multilayers were investigated. It was found that the coercivity of Co/Pd multilayers was strongly dependent on the sputtering pressure of underlayer and could be enhanced to a large extent merely by increasing the sputtering pressure of underlayer, while in case of Co/Pt films, the degree of coercivity enhancement by controlling the sputtering pressure of underlayer was almost negligible. Coercivity variation of Co/Pd and Co/Pt multilayers with the underlayer material and deposition pressure of underlayer could be well explained in terms of the interface roughness of multilayer films induced by underlayer topology, which could also be correlated to the change of perpendicular anisotropy energy and magnetic reversal feature with the sputtering pressure of underlayer. Kerr rotation angle was hardly affected by the preparation conditions of underlayers.