• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.279-282
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• 2006

Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), which consisted of amorphous ferromagnetic NiFeSiB free layers, were investigated. The NiFeSiB layers were used to substitute for the traditionally used CoFe and/or NiFe layers with the emphasis being given to obtaining an understanding of the effect of the amorphous free layer on the switching characteristics of the MTJs. $Ni_{16}Fe_{62}Si_{8}B_{14}$ has a lower saturation magnetization ($M_{s}:\;800\;emu/cm^{3}$) than $Co_{90}Fe_{10}$ and a higher anisotropy constant ($K_{u}:\;2700\;erg/cm^{3}$) than $Ni_{80}Fe_{20}$. The $Si/SiO_{2}/Ta$ 45/Ru 9.5/IrMn 10/CoFe $7/AlO_{x}/CoFeSiB\;(t)/Ru\;60\;(in\;nanometers)$structure was found to be beneficial for the switching characteristics of the MTJ, leading to a reduction in the coercivity ($H_{c}$) and an increase in the sensitivity resulted from its lower saturation magnetization and higher uniaxial anisotropy. Furthermore, by inserting a very thin CoFe layer at the tunnel barrier/NiFeSiB interface, the TMR ratio and switching squareness were improved more with the increase of NiFeSiB layer thickness up to 11 nm.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.448-458
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• 2012

In order to develop alloy resistance in aggressive sulphat ion, the corrosion behavior of metallic glasses $Ni_{92{\cdot}3}Si_{4.5}B_{32}$, $Ni_{82,3}Cr_7Fe_3Si_{4.5}B_{3.2}$ and $Ni_{75.5}Cr_{13}Fe_{4.2}Si_{4.5}B_{2.8}$ (at %) at different concentrations of $H_2SO_4$ solutions was examined by electrochemical methods and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and X-ray Photoelectron Microscopy (XPS) analyses. The corrosion kinetics and passivation behavior was studied. A direct proportion was observed between the corrosion rate and acid concentration in the case of $Ni_{92{\cdot}3}Si_{4.5}B_{32}$ and $Ni_{75.5}Cr_{13}Fe_{4.2}Si_{4.5}B_{2.8}$ alloys. Critical concentration was observed in the case of $Ni_{82,3}Cr_7Fe_3Si_{4.5}B_{3.2}$ alloy. The influence of the alloying element is reflected in the increasing resistance of the protective film. XPS analysis confirms that the protection film on the $Ni_{92{\cdot}3}Si_{4.5}B_{32}$ alloy was NiS which is less protective than that formed on Cr containing alloys. The corrosion rate of $Ni_{82,3}Cr_7Fe_3Si_{4.5}B_{3.2}$ and $Ni_{75.5}Cr_{13}Fe_{4.2}Si_{4.5}B_{2.8}$. alloys containing 7% and 13% Cr are $7.90-26.1{\times}10^{-3}$ mm/y which is lower about 43-54 times of the alloy $Ni_{92{\cdot}3}Si_{4.5}B_{32}$ (free of Cr). The high resistance of $Ni_{75.5}Cr_{13}Fe_{4.2}Si_{4.5}B_{2.8}$ alloy at the very aggressive media may due to thicker passive film of $Cr_2O_3$ which hydrated to hydrated chromium oxyhydroxide.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.120-123
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• 2007

The typical double-barrier magnetic tunnel junction (DMTJ) structure examined in this paper consists of a Ta 45/Ru 9.5/IrMn 10/CoFe7/$AlO_x$/free layer/AlO/CoFe 7/IrMn 10/Ru 60 (nm). The free layer consists of an $Ni_{16}Fe_{62}Si_8B_{14}$ 7 nm, $Co_{90}Fe_{10}$ (fcc) 7 nm, or CoFe $t_1$/NiFeSiB $t_2$/CoFe $t_1$ layer in which the thicknesses $t_1$ and $t_2$ are varied. The DMTJ with an NiFeSiB-free layer had a tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) of 28%, an area-resistance product (RA) of $86\;k{\Omega}{\mu}m^2$, a coercivity ($H_c$) of 11 Oe, and an interlayer coupling field ($H_i$) of 20 Oe. To improve the TMR ratio and RA, a DMTJ comprising an amorphous NiFeSiB layer that could partially substitute for the CoFe free layer was investigated. This hybrid DMTJ had a TMR of 30%, an RA of $68\;k{\Omega}{\mu}m^2$, and a of 11 Oe, but an increased of 37 Oe. We confirmed by atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy that increased as the thickness of NiFeSiB decreased. When the amorphous NiFeSiB layer was thick, it was effective in retarding the columnar growth which usually induces a wavy interface. However, if the NiFeSiB layer was thin, the roughness was increased and became large because of the magnetostatic $N{\acute{e}}el$ coupling.

• 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.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.398-402
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• 2011

A novel laminate composite of FeCuNbSiB/FeNi /PZT is proposed, where FeCuNbSiB has a permeability of around 100000, which is much larger than that of FeNi. The high-permeability FeCuNbSiB was laminated with piezomagnetic FeNi rather than attached to its ends. It is expected that the effect produced by the high permeability will act on the whole of the piezomagnetic layer. While a FeNi layer was laminated with a FeCuNbSiB layer, the strong demagnetization produced by the latter was expected to be imposed on the FeNi layer as well as the applied fields. The distribution of applied fields was altered by the high-permeability material (both bias and ac field) and the field variation positively contributed to the ME effect in piezomagnetic/piezoelectric composites. Thus the ME voltage coefficient along with the field sensitivity were improved.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.117-121
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• 2013

In this study we investigated magnetism and magnetostriction of B2-structured FeX (X = Al, Si, Ni, Ga, Ge, and Sn) using a first-principles method, in order to survey the possibility of developing a transition metal based magnetostriction material. The Full-potential Linearized Augmented Plane Wave method was employed for solving the Kohn-Sham equation within the generalized gradient approximation for exchange-correlation interaction between electrons. FeX alloys are stabilized in ferromagnetic states except for the FeSi and FeGe alloys. Magnetostrcition coefficients of FeX (X = Al, Ni, Ga, and Sn) were calculated to be -5, +6, -84, -522ppm, respectively. It is noteworthy that the magnetostriction coefficient (-522ppm) of FeSn is larger than that (+400ppm) of Gafenol.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.888-892
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• 2004

It is necessary to develop soft magnetic layer with high saturation magnetization 4 $\pi{M}_s$ and in-plane magnetic anisotropy field Hk for soft magnetic underlayer of perpendicular magnetic recording media with high signal to noise ratio. Fe-Co-B layer with high 4 $\pi$Ms of about 23 kG deposited on Ni-Fe and Ni-Fe/Si seedlayer exhibited very high in-plane magnetic anisotropy filed Hk of about 280 and 380 Oe, respectively, In-plane XRD studies clarified that the lattice spacing of planes along the easy axis direction was longer than that along the hard axis direction in the Fe-Co-B layers with high Hk. These results indicate that high Hk of Fe-Co-B/Ni-Fe and Fe-Co-B/［Ni-Fe/si］ layers were resulted from magnetoelastic anisotropy owing to a residual stress. Moreover, the high Hk in the Fe-Co-B/Ni-Fe layer was maintained until 30$0^{\circ}C$ annealing temperature.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.186-191
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• 2006

Ferromagnetic amorphous $Ni_{16}Fe_{62}Si_8B_{14}$ and $Co_{70.5}Fe_{4.5}Si_{15}B_{10}$ layers have been devised and incorporated as free layers of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) to improve MRAM reading and writing performance. The NiFeSiB and CoFeSiB single-layer film exhibited a lower saturation magnetization ($Ms=800emu/cm^3,\;and\;560emu/cm^3$, respectively) compared to that of a $Co_{90}Fe_{10}(Ms=1400emu/cm^3)$. Because amorphous ferromagnetic materials have lower Ms than crystalline ones, the MTJs incorporating amorphous ferromagnetic materials offer lower switching field ($H_{sw}$) values than that of the traditional CoFe-based MTJ. The double-barrier MTJ with an amorphous NiFeSiB free layer offered smooth surface resulting in low bias voltage dependence, and high $V_h\;and\;V_{bd}$ compared with the values of the traditional CoFe-based MTJ.

• Proceedings of the Korean Magnestics Society Conference
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• 2005.12a
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• pp.158-159
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• 2005