Thickness-dependent magnetic properties in Pt/[Co/Ni]_(n) multilayers with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

We systematically investigated the Ni and Co thickness-dependent perpendicular magnetic anisotropy(PMA)coefficient,magnetic domain structures,and magnetization dynamics of Pt(5 nm)/[Co(t_(Co))/Ni(t_(Ni))]_(5)/Pt(1 nm)multilayers by combining the four standard magnetic characterization techniques.The magnetic-related hysteresis loops obtained from the field-dependent magnetization M and anomalous Hall resistivity(AHR)ρxy showed that the two serial multilayers with t_(Co)=0.2 nm and 0.3 nm have the optimum PMA coefficient K_(U) as well as the highest coercivity H_(C) at the Ni thickness t_(Ni)=0.6 nm.Additionally,the magnetic domain structures obtained by magneto-optic Kerr effect(MOKE)microscopy also significantly depend on the thickness and K_(U) of the films.Furthermore,the thickness-dependent linewidth of ferromagnetic resonance is inversely proportional to K_(U) and H_(C),indicating that inhomogeneous magnetic properties dominate the linewidth.However,the intrinsic Gilbert damping constant determined by a linear fitting of the frequency-dependent linewidth does not depend on the Ni thickness and K_(U).Our results could help promote the PMA[Co/Ni]multilayer applications in various spintronic and spin-orbitronic devices.

Investigation of magnetization reversal and domain structures in perpendicular synthetic antiferromagnets by first-order reversal curves and magneto-optical Kerr effect

Perpendicular synthetic-antiferromagnet(p-SAF) has broad applications in spin-transfer-torque magnetic random access memory and magnetic sensors. In this study, the p-SAF films consisting of (Co/Ni)3]/Ir(tIr)/[(Ni/Co)3are fabricated by magnetron sputtering technology. We study the domain structure and switching field distribution in p-SAF by changing the thickness of the infrared space layer. The strongest exchange coupling field(Hex) is observed when the thickness of Ir layer(tIr) is 0.7 nm and becoming weak according to the Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida-type coupling at 1.05 nm,2.1 nm, 4.55 nm, and 4.9 nm in sequence. Furthermore, the domain switching process between the upper Co/Ni stack and the bottom Co/Ni stack is different because of the antiferromagnet coupling. Compared with ferromagnet coupling films, the antiferromagnet samples possess three irreversible reversal regions in the first-order reversal curve distribution.With tIrincreasing, these irreversible reversal regions become denser and smaller. The results from this study will help us understand the details of the magnetization reversal process in the p-SAF.

Electric-field control of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy by resistive switching via electrochemical metallization

Electric-field control of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy(PMA) is a feasible way to manipulate perpendicular magnetization,which is of great importance for realizing energy-efficient spintronics.Here,we propose a novel approach to accomplish this task at room temperature by resistive switching(RS) via electrochemical metallization(ECM) in a device with the stack of Si/SiO_(2)/Ta/Pt/Ag/Mn-doped ZnO(MZO)/Pt/Co/Pt/ITO.By applying certain voltages,the device could be set at high-resistance-state(HRS) and low-resistance-state(LRS),accompanied with a larger and a smaller coercivity(H_(C)),respectively,which demonstrates a nonvolatile E-field control of PMA.Based on our previous studies and the present control experiments,the electric modulation of PMA can be briefly explained as follows.At LRS,the Ag conductive filaments form and pass through the entire MZO layer and finally reach the Pt/Co/Pt sandwich,leading to weakening of PMA and reduction of H_(C).In contrast,at HRS,most of the Ag filaments dissolve and leave away from the Pt/Co/Pt sandwich,causing partial recovery of PMA and an increase of H_(C).This work provides a new clue to designing low-power spintronic devices based on PMA films.

High repetition granular Co/Pt multilayers with improved perpendicular remanent magnetization for high-density magnetic recording

Thanks to the strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy(PMA), excellent processing compatibility as well as novel spintronic phenomenon, Co/Pt multilayers have been attracting massive attention and widely used in magnetic storage.However, reversed magnetic domains come into being with the increasing layer repetition ‘N’ to reduce magneto-static energy, resulting in the remarkable diminishment of the remanent magnetization(Mr). As a result, the product of Mrand thickness(i.e., the remanent moment-thickness product, Mrt), a key parameter in magnetic recording for reliable data storing and reading, also decreases dramatically. To overcome this issue, we deposit an ultra-thick granular [Co/Pt]80multilayer with a total thickness of 68 nm on granular SiNxbuffer layer. The Mrt value, Mrto saturation magnetization(Ms) ratio as well as out of plane(OOP) coercivity(Hcoop) are high up to 2.97 memu/cm^(2), 67%, and 1940 Oe(1 Oe = 79.5775 A·m^(-1)),respectively, which is remarkably improved compared with that of continuous [Co/Pt]80multilayers. That is because large amounts of grain boundaries in the granular multilayers can efficiently impede the propagation and expansion of reversed magnetic domains, which is verified by experimental investigations and micromagnetic simulation results. The simulation results also indicate that the value of Mrt, Mr/Msratio, and Hcoopcan be further improved through optimizing the granule size, which can be experimentally realized by manipulating the process parameter of SiNxbuffer layer. This work provides an alternative solution for achieving high Mrt value in ultra-thick Co/Pt multilayers, which is of unneglectable potential in applications of high-density magnetic recording.

Spin–orbit torque in perpendicularly magnetized[Pt/Ni]multilayers

The performance of spin–orbit torque(SOT)in heavy metal/ferromagnetic metal periodic multilayers has attracted widespread attention.In this paper,we have successfully fabricated a series of perpendicular magnetized[Pt(2-t)/Ni(t)]_4 multilayers,and studied the SOT in the multilayers by varying the thickness of Ni layer t.The current induced magnetization switching was achieved with a critical current density of 1×10^(7)A/cm^(2).The damping-like SOT efficiencyξ_(DL)was extracted from an extended harmonic Hall measurement.We demonstrated that theξ_(DL)can be effectively modulated by t_(Pt)/t_(Ni)ratio of Pt and Ni in the multilayers.The SOT investigation about the[Pt/Ni]N multilayers might provide new material candidates for practical perpendicular SOT-MRAM devices.

Perpendicular magnetization and exchange bias in epitaxial NiO/[Ni/Pt]_(2)multilayers

The realization of perpendicular magnetization and perpendicular exchange bias(PEB)in magnetic multilayers is important for the spintronic applications.NiO(t)/[Ni(4 nm)/Pt(1 nm)]_(2)multilayers with varying the NiO layer thickness t have been epitaxially deposited on SrTiO;(001)substrates.Perpendicular magnetization can be achieved when t<25 nm.Perpendicular magnetization originates from strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy(PMA),mainly resulting from interfacial strain induced by the lattice mismatch between the Ni and Pt layers.The PMA energy constant decreases monotonically with increasing t,due to the weakening of Ni(001)orientation and a little degradation of the Ni–Pt interface.Furthermore,significant PEB can be observed though NiO layer has spin compensated(001)crystalline plane.The PEB field increases monotonically with increasing t,which is considered to result from the thickness dependent anisotropy of the NiO layer.

Magnetron sputtering deposition of [FePt/Ag]_n multilayers for perpendicular recording

[FePt/Ag]n multilayers were deposited on glass substrates by RF magnetron sputtering and ex situ annealed at 550℃ for 30 min. The effects of inserted Ag layer thickness and the number of bilayer repetitions （n） on the structure and magnetic properties of the multilayers were investigated. It was found that the difference between in-plane and out-of-plane coercivities varied with an increase of inserted Ag layer thickness in the [FePt 2 nm/Ag x nm]10 multilayers. The ratio of out-of-plane coercivity to in-plane coercivity reached the maximum value with the Ag layer thickness of 5 nm, indicating that the Ag layer thickness plays an important role in obtaining perpendicular orientation. For the [FePt 2 nm/Ag 5 um]n multilayers, perpendicular orientation is also influenced by n. The maximum value of the ratio of out-of-plane coercivity to in-plane coercivity appeared when n was given as 8. It was found that the [FePt 2 nm/Ag 5 nm]8 had a high perpendicular coercivity of 520 kA/m and a low in-plane one of 88 kA/m, which shows a strong perpendicular anisotropy.

Electron-Induced Perpendicular Graphene Sheets Embedded Porous Carbon Film for Flexible Touch Sensors

Graphene-based materials on wearable electronics and bendable displays have received considerable attention for the mechanical flexibility,superior electrical conductivity,and high surface area,which are proved to be one of the most promising candidates of stretching and wearable sensors.However,polarized electric charges need to overcome the barrier of graphene sheets to cross over flakes to penetrate into the electrode,as the graphene planes are usually parallel to the electrode surface.By introducing electron-induced perpendicular graphene(EIPG)electrodes incorporated with a stretchable dielectric layer,a flexible and stretchable touch sensor with"in-sheet-chargestransportation"is developed to lower the resistance of carrier movement.The electrode was fabricated with porous nanostructured architecture design to enable wider variety of dielectric constants of only 50-μm-thick Ecoflex layer,leading to fast response time of only 66 ms,as well as high sensitivities of 0.13 kPa-1 below 0.1 kPa and 4.41 MPa-1 above 10 kPa,respectively.Moreover,the capacitance-decrease phenomenon of capacitive sensor is explored to exhibit an object recognition function in one pixel without any other integrated sensor.This not only suggests promising applications of the EIPG electrode in flexible touch sensors but also provides a strategy for internet of things security functions.

Micromagnetic studies of perpendicular recording FePt media with controllable grain size distributions

A 3-dimensional (3D) micromagnetic model combined with Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) method was built up to study the writability in the L10 FePt perpendicular medium. The effects of controllable grain size distributions were studied by grain growth simulation. It is found that the cross-track-averaged magnetization changes little between the L10 FePt medium with uniform or non-uniform grain size distribution.

Tunable Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy in Off-Stoichiometric Full-Heusler Alloy Co_2MnAl

Off-stoichiometric full-Heusler alloy Co_2 MnAl thin films with different thicknesses are epitaxially grown on GaAs(001) substrates by molecular-beam epitaxy. The composition of the films, close to Co_(1.65)Mn_(1.35)Al(CMA),is determined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Tunable perpendicular magnetic anisotropy(PMA) from 3.41 Merg/cm^3 to 1.88 Merg/cm^3 with the thickness increasing from 10 nm to 30 nm is found,attributed to the relaxation of residual compressive strain. Moreover, comparing with the ultrathin CoFeB/MgO used in the conventional perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction, the CMA electrode has a higher magnetic thermal stability with more volume involved. The PMA in CMA films is sustainable up to 300℃,compatible with semiconductor techniques. This work provides a possibility for the development of perpendicular magnetized full-Heusler compounds with high thermal stability and spin polarization.

Perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction and its application in magnetic random access memory

Recent progresses in magnetic tunnel junctions with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy （PMA） are reviewed and summarized. At first, the concept and source of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy （PMA） are introduced. Next, a historical overview of PMA materials as magnetic electrodes, such as the RE-TM alloys TbFeCo and GdFeCo, novel tetragonal manganese alloys Mn-Ga, L10-ordered （Co, Fe）/Pt alloy, multilayer film [Co, Fe, CoFe/Pt, Pd, Ni, AU]N, and ultra-thin magnetic metal/oxidized barrier is offered. The other part of the article focuses on the optimization and fabrication of CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB p-MTJs, which is thought to have high potential to meet the main demands for non-volatile magnetic random access memory.

Magnetic properties of a Pt/Co_2 FeAl/MgO structure with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

Microstructures and magnetic properties of Ta/Pt/Co 2 FeAl（CFA）/MgO multilayers are studied to understand perpendicular magnetic anisotropy（PMA） of half-metallic full-Heusler alloy films.PMA is realized in a 2.5-nm CFA film with B2-ordered structure observed by a high resolution transmission electron microscope.It is demonstrated that a high quality interface between the ferromagnetic layer and oxide layer is not essential for PMA.The conversions between in-plane anisotropy and PMA are investigated to study the dependence of magnetic moment on temperature.At the intersection points,the decreasing slope of the saturation magnetization（M s） changes because of the conversions.The dependence of M s on the annealing temperature and MgO thickness is also studied.

RF magnetron sputtering induced the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy modification in Pt/Co based multilayers

We demonstrate that radio frequency(RF)magnetron sputtering technique can modify the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy(PMA)of Pt/Co/normal metal(NM)thin films.Influence of ion irradiation during RF magnetron sputtering should not be neglected and it can weaken PMA of the deposited magnetic films.The magnitude of this influence can be controlled by tuning RF magnetron sputtering deposition conditions and the upper NM layer thickness.According to the stopping and range of ions in matter(SRIM)simulation results,defects such as displacement atoms and vacancies in the deposited film will increase after the RF magnetron sputtering,which can account for the weakness of PMA.The amplitude changes of the Hall resistance and the threshold current intensity of spin orbit torque(SOT)induced magnetization switching also can be modified.Our study could be useful for controlling magnetic properties of PMA films and designing new type of SOT-based spintronic devices.

Analysis of mode Ⅲ crack perpendicular to the interface between two dissimilar strips

The present work is concerned with the problem of mode Ⅲ crack perpendicular to the interface of a bi-strip composite. One of these strips is made of a functionally graded material and the other of an isotropic material, which contains an edge crack perpendicular to and terminating at the interface. Fourier transforms and asymptotic analysis are employed to reduce the problem to a singular integral equation which is numerically solved using Gauss-Chebyshev quadrature formulae. Furthermore, a parametric study is carried out to investigate the effects of elastic and geometric characteristics of the composite on the values of stress intensity factor.

Nonmonotonic effects of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy on current-driven vortex wall motions in magnetic nanostripes

In a magnetic nanostripe, the effects of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy（PMA） on the current-driven horizontal motion of vortex wall along the stripe and the vertical motion of the vortex core are studied by micromagnetic simulations.The results show that the horizontal and vertical motion can generally be monotonously enhanced by PMA. However, when the current is small, a nonmonotonic phenomenon for the horizontal motion is found. Namely, the velocity of the horizontal motion firstly decreases and then increases with the increase of the PMA. We find that the reason for this is that the PMA can firstly increase and then decrease the confining force induced by the confining potential energy. In addition, the PMA always enhances the driving force induced by the current.

Micromagnetic simulation of FeCo write head in perpendicular recording hard disk drives

The single-pole tip (SPT) heads made of the high saturation FeCo ferromagnetic metals are crucial for the actualization of ultrahigh density perpendicular recording. The effective head field distribution in the medium is of key importance for the design of the SPT head, which would be analyzed by micromagnetic simulations in this work. Two 3D micromagnetic models of the SPT head were established to select a more appropriate method of modeling, with a magnetostatic image effect or a real soft magnetic material to model the image of the SPT head in soft under layer (SUL). The results from these two designs were tested and compared to the ideal head field calculated by the Jacobi finite element method (FEM); and the design with the real soft magnetic material as image was proved suitable for simulating the ultrahigh density perpendicular recording write head.

Recent progress in perpendicularly magnetized Mn-based binary alloy films

In this article, we review the recent progress in growth, structural characterizations, magnetic properties, and related spintronic devices of tetragonal MnxGa and MnxA1 thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. First, we present a brief introduction to the demands for perpendicularly magnetized materials in spintronics, magnetic recording, and perma- nent magnets applications, and the most promising candidates of tetragonal MnxGa and MnxA1 with strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Then, we focus on the recent progress of perpendicularly magnetized MnxGa and MnxA1 respec- tively, including their lattice structures, bulk synthesis, epitaxial growth, structural characterizations, magnetic and other spin-dependent properties, and spintronic devices like magnetic tunneling junctions, spin valves, and spin injectors into semiconductors. Finally, we give a summary and a perspective of these perpendicularly magnetized Mn-based binary alloy films for future applications.

Dependence of switching process on the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy constant in P-MTJ

We investigate the dependence of the switching process on the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy （PMA） constant in perpendicular spin transfer torque magnetic tunnel junctions （P-MTJs） using micromagnetic simulations. It is found that the final stable states of the magnetization distribution of the free layer after switching can be divided into three different states based on different PMA constants： vortex, uniform, and steady. Different magnetic states can be attributed to a trade-off among demagnetization, exchange, and PMA energies. The generation of the vortex state is also related to the non-uniform stray field from the polarizer, and the final stable magnetization is sensitive to the PMA constant. The vortex and uniform states have different switching processes, and the switching time of the vortex state is longer than that of the uniform state due to hindrance by the vortex.

NANO-MULTILAYERS WITH HIGH PERPENDICULAR ANISOTROPY FOR MAGNETIC RECORDING

(FePt/Ag)n nano-multilayers were deposited on MgO (100) single crystal with laser ablation and then subjected to annealing. FePt L1o grains with (001) texture and thus a large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy constant Ku of the order of 106 J/m3 were formed. A thick Ag layer is found to be favorable for decreasing the dispersion of the easy axis for magnetization. The measurement of time decay of magnetization gave rise to a small activation volume of the order of 10-25m3, showing the promising of being the recording medium for future high density perpendicular recording.

Role of TbFe on Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy and Giant Magnetoresistance Effect in [Co/Ni]_N-Based Spin Valves

The exchange-coupled [Co/Ni]N/Tb Fe nano-magnetic films can display strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy(PMA) which depends on the Tb:Fe component ratio, Tb Fe layer thickness and the repetition number N of [Co/Ni]Nmultilayer. Perpendicular spin valves in the nano thickness scale, consisting of a [Co/Ni]3free and a [Co/Ni]5/Tb Fe reference multilayer, show high giant magnetoresistance(GMR) signal of 6.5 % and a large switching field difference over3 k Oe. However, unexpected slanting of the free layer magnetization, accompanied by a reduced GMR ratio, was found to be caused by the presence of a thick Fe-rich or even a thin but Tb-rich Tb Fe layer. We attribute this phenomenon to the large magnetostriction effect of Tb Fe which probably induces strong stress acting on the free layer and hence reduces its interfacial PMA.