• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.211-216
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• 2001

Top synthetic spin valves wi th structure Ta/NiFe/CoFe/Cu/CoFe(Pl)/Ru/CoFe(P2)/FeMn/Ta on Si (100) substrate with SiO$_2$ of 1500 were prepared by dc magnetron sputtering system. We have changed only the thickness of the free layer and the thickness difference (Pl-P2) in the two ferromagnetic layers separated by Ru, and investigated the effect of magnetic film thickness on the GMR properties and the interlayer coupling field in a spin valve with a synthetic antiferromagnet. As thickness difference of pinned layer was decreased from +25 to -25 , MR ratio was decreased gradually. However, there was a dip zone indicating a big change of MR ratio around Pl = P2, which can be due to the large canting of pinned layers. The modified Neel model was suggested for the top synthetic spin valve to explain the interlayer coupling field according to the thickness change of ferromagnetic layers. The interlayer coupling field was decreased due to the magnetostatic coupling (orange peel coupling) as suggested by model. However, the interlayer coupling field was not explained at the dip zone by the modified Neel model. The deviation of modified Neel model at the dip zone could be due to the largely canting of the pinned layers as well, which depends on different thickness in synthetic antiferromagnetic structure.

• Proceedings of the Korean Magnestics Society Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.128.2-128.2
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• 2007

• Proceedings of the Korean Magnestics Society Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.44-45
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• 2001

• Proceedings of the Korean Magnestics Society Conference
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• 2002.12a
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• pp.52-53
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• 2002

스핀밸브 구조는 현재 고기록밀도 자기저장 분야에서 그 응용범위가 넓다. 이런 고기록밀도를 달성하기 위해서는 자기저항곡선의 비대칭성 문제가 중요하다. 그러므로 비대칭성 문제를 해결하여 센서의 민감도를 높이기 위해서는 고정층에서 나오는 정자기장을 제어하는 것이 필요하다. 이런 문제를 해결하기 위해 IBM에서 최초로 합성형 스핀밸브 구조가 도입하였다 [1]. 이런 합성형 스핀밸브는 기존의 스핀밸브에 비해 열적으로나 또는 자기적으로 매우 안정한 장점을 가지고 있다. (중략)

• Proceedings of the Korean Magnestics Society Conference
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• 2005.12a
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• pp.200-201
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Magnestics Society Conference
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• 2002.12a
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• pp.64-65
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• 2002

Recently the synthetic antiferromagnetic layer (SAF) has received much attention because it replaces the pinned layer of the conventional spin valve (CSV) sensors and its overall performance [1], The spin valve (SV) with SAF has the from buffer/F/Cu/APl/Ru/AP2/AF, where F is the soft ferromagnetic layer (typically NiFe with CoFe interfacial doping), AP1 and AP2 are two ferromagnetic layers (typically CoFe alloys) antiferromagnetically coupled through a thin Ru layer. (omitted)

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.315-319
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• 2005

To obtain low switching field ($H_{SW}$) we introduced amorphous ferromagnetic $Co_{70.5}Fe_{4,5}Si_{15}B_{10}$ single and synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF) free layers in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). The switching characteristics for MTJs with structures $Si/SiO_2/Ta$ 45/Ru 9.5/IrMn 10/CoFe 7/AlOx/CoFeSiB 7 or CoFeSiB (t)/Ru 1.0/CoFeSiB (7-t)/Ru 60 (in nm) were investigated and compared to MTJs with $Co_{75}Fe_{25}$ and $Ni_{80}Fe_{20}$ free layers. CoFeSiB showed a lower saturation magnetization of $560 emu/cm^3$ and a higher anisotropy constant of $2800\;erg/cm^3$ than CoFe and NiFe, respectively. An exchange coupling energy ($J_{ex}$) of $-0.003erg/cm^2$ was observed by inserting a 1.0 nm Ru layer in between CoFeSiB layers. In the CoFeSiB single and SAF free layer MTJs, it was frond that the size dependence of the $H_{SW}$ originated from the lower $J_{ex}$ experimentally and by micromagnetic simulation based on the Landau-Lisfschitz-Gilbert equation. The CoFeSiB SAF structures showed lower $H_{SW}$ than that of NiFe, CoFe and CoFeSiB single structures. The CoFeSiB SAF structures were proved to be beneficial far the switching characteristics such as reducing the coercivity and increasing the sensitivity in micrometer to submicrometer-sized elements.

• Proceedings of the Korean Magnestics Society Conference
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• 2002.12a
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• pp.158-159
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• 2002

스핀 밸브에서는 NiFe, CoFe, Cu등 주요 금속들이 면심입방체(111)로 배향이 용이하지만, 자기 터널 접합 소자에서는 $Al_2$O$_3$ 장벽층이 비정질로서 상부 강자성 전극이 충분히 (111) 배향을 할 수 없기 때문에 top bias 방식의 사용이 거의 불가능하며, bottom bias의 경우에도 교환 바이어스의 크기는 상대적으로 작다[1]. 이를 극복하기 위해 인공 초격자를 이용한 인공 반강자성층(synthetic antiferromagnet - SAF)을 이용하여 높은 교환 바이어스 효과를 구현하고자 하였다. (중략)

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.272-277
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• 2001

A spin valve structure of Ta/NiFe/CoFe/Cu/CoFe/Ru/CoFe/FeMn/Ta which has a synthetic antiferromagnet (CoFe/Ru/CoFe), was fabricated by using a magnetron sputtering system. The thickness and composition of magnetic free and pinned layers affect the magnetic properties such as exchange interaction strength of each layer and so on. Even though Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) has advantages of quantitative and non-destructive analysis, it is almost impossible to determine the thickness and composition of magnetic thin films using lBS because of its poor mass resolution for a higher atom number (Z>20). In this study, quantitative analysis of the element composition and thickness for the spin valve sample was performed by combining both Proton Induced X-ray Emission Spectrometry (PIXE), which is one of element specific analysis techniques, and grazing-exit RBS with a highly improved depth resolution and absolute quantitative analysis. For the quantitative analysis, standardization of PIXE was carried out with NiFe, CoFe, and FeMn layers, which are one of constituent layers of spin valve films. Through PIXE standardization and the aid of PHE experimental results of the spin valve sample, ire overlapped signal in a grazing-exit RBS spectrum were successfully resolved and the thickness of the Ru layer was determined with a resolution of ∼1 .

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.124-127
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• 2007

Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), which consisted of amorphous CoFeSiB layers, were investigated. The CoFeSiB layers were used to substitute for the traditionally used CoFe and/or NiFe layers with an emphasis given on understanding the effect of the amorphous free layer on the switching characteristics of the MTJs. CoFeSiB has a lower saturation magnetization ($M_s\;:\;560\;emu/cm^3$) and a higher anisotropy constant ($K_u\;:\;2800\;erg/cm^3$) than CoFe and NiFe, respectively. An exchange coupling energy ($J_{ex}$) of $-0.003\;erg/cm^2$ was observed by inserting a 1.0 nm Ru layer in between CoFeSiB layers. In the Si/$SiO_2$/Ta 45/Ru 9.5/IrMn 10/CoFe 7/$AlO_x$/CoFeSiB 7 or CoFeSiB (t)/Ru 1.0/CoFeSiB (7-t)/Ru 60 (in nm) MTJs structure, it was found that the size dependence of the switching field originated in the lower $J_{ex}$ using the experimental and simulation results. The CoFeSiB synthetic antiferromagnet structures were proved to be beneficial for the switching characteristics such as reducing the coercivity ($H_c$) and increasing the sensitivity in micrometer size, even in submicrometer sized elements.