K. Y. Kim

Microstructural change upon annealing FeZrB alloys with different boron contents

To clarify the reason for the change in effective permeability with increasing boron content before and after crystallization, we investigated the microstructure of Fe93−xZr7Bx (x = 2, 4, 6, 8) alloys annealed for 1 h in the temperature range 350–600 °C, using transmission electron microscope. In low boron alloys (x = 2, 4), the amorphous phase showed indications of a typical interconnected pattern, exhibiting a spinodal-type decomposition. After crystallization, it changed to a mainly single b.c.c. structure with a homogeneous grain size distribution of about 20 nm, and the effective permeability had a high value of around 19000. In high boron alloys (x = 6, 8), the microstructure after crystallization showed an inhomogeneous grain size distribution, and a low effective permeability. These results may be the result of the different phase separation pattern in the amorphous state.

Magnetic properties of FeCuNbSiB nanocrystalline alloy powder cores using ball-milled powder

Cold-pressed nanocrystalline powder cores were fabricated using powders of nanocrystalline ribbons which were ball milled for short time. Their magnetic properties at high frequency were measured. The powder size ranges from 20 to 850 μm and the contents of the glass binder are between 1 and 8 wt %. For cores composed of large particles of 300–850 μm with 5 wt % glass binder, we obtained a stable permeability of 100 up to 800 kHz, a maximum level 31 of quality factor at frequency of 50 kHz, and 320 mW/cm3 core loss at f=50 kHz and Bm=0.1 T. This is mainly due to the good soft magnetic properties of the powders and the higher insulation of powder cores which cause low eddy current losses.

Interlayer coupling field in spin valves with CoFe/Ru/CoFe/FeMn synthetic antiferromagnets (invited)

Top synthetic spin valves with structure Ta/NiFe/CoFe/Cu/CoFe(P1)/Ru/CoFe(P2)/FeMn/Ta on Si (100) substrate with natural oxide were prepared by dc magnetron sputtering system. We have changed only the thickness of the free layer and the thickness difference (P1−P2) in the two ferromagnetic layers separated by Ru, and investigated the effect of magnetic film thickness on the interlayer coupling field in a spin valve with a synthetic antiferromagnet. As the free layer thickness decreased from 70 to 20 A, the interlayer coupling field was increased due to the magnetostatic coupling (orange peel coupling). In the case of the thickness difference in the pinned layers, the interlayer coupling field agreed with the modified Neel model suggested in the top synthetic spin valve structures. However, in the case of tP1=tP2, and tP1=tP2+5 A, it was found that the interlayer coupling field could not be explained by the modified Neel model. The deviation of the modified Neel model at the dip zone could be due to the la...

Effect of the nano-oxide layer as a Mn diffusion barrier in specular spin valves

In previous work an enhanced giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect in spin valves (SVs) with a nano-oxide layer (NOL) after annealing at about 250–300 °C has been reported. We have shown that SVs with a NOL also have higher thermal stability of the MR ratio at 300 °C. From secondary-ion-mass spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profile analysis, the mechanism of the improved thermal stability of the SVs with a NOL is shown to be related to MnO formation within the NOL. Thus, Mn atoms from the FeMn layer are trapped, and Mn diffusion is inhibited by the NOL during annealing.

Evaluation of the genetic toxicity of synthetic chemicals (II), a pyrethroid insecticide, fenpropathrin

The detection of many synthetic chemicals used in industry that may pose a genetic hazard in our environment is subject of great concern at present. In this respect, the genetic toxicity of fenpropathrin ((RS)-α-cyano-3-phenoxybenzyl-2,2,3,3-tetramethyl cyclopropane carboxylate, CAS No.: 39515-41-8), a pyrethroid insecticide, was evaluated in bacterial gene mutation system, chromosome aberration in mammalian cell system andin vivo micronucleus assay with rodents. In bacterial gene mutation assay, no mutagenicity of fenpropathrin (62–5000 μg/plate) was observed inSalmonella typhimurium TA 98, 100, 1535 and 1537 both in the absence and in the presence of S-9 metabolic activation system. In mammalian cell system using chinese hamster lung fibroblast, no clastogenicity of fenpropathrin was also observed both in the absence andin the presence of metabolic activation system in the concentration range of 7–28 μg/ml. And also,in vivo micronucleus assay using mouse bone marrow cells, fenpropathrin also revealed no mutagenic potential in the dose range of 27–105 mg/kg body weight of fenpropathrin (i.p.). Consequently, no mutagenic potential of fenpropathrin was observedin vitro bacterial, mammalian mutagenicity systems andin vivo micronucleus assay in the dose ranges used in this experiment.

Genotoxicity study of bojungchisup-tang, an oriental herbal decoction-in vitro chromosome aberration assay in Chinese hamster lung cells andin vivo supravital-staining micronucleus assay with mouse peripheral reticulocytes

The toxicity evaluation of oriental herbal drugs is of great concern at present. Bojungchisuptang (BCST, in Korean), a decocted medicine of oriental herbal mixture, is now well used in clinic at oriental hospitals for the treatment of edema of several diseases in practice. However, the toxicity of the oriental herbal decocted medicines such as genetic toxicity is not well defined until now. In this respect, to clarify the genetic toxicity of BCST,in vitro chromosome aberration assay with Chinese hamster lung (CHL) fibroblasts andin vivo supravital micronucleus assay with mouse peripheral reticulocytes were performed in this study. In the chromosome aberration assay, we used 5,000 μg/ml BCST as maximum concentration because no remarkable cytotoxicity in CHL cells was observed both in the presence and absence of S-9 metabolic activation system. No statistical significant differences of chromosome aberrations were observed in CHL cells treated with 5,000, 2,500 and 1,250 μg/ml BCST for 6 hour both in the presence and absence of S-9 metabolic activation. However, very weak positive result (6.5∼8.0% aberration) of BCST was obtained in the absence of S-9 metabolic activation system at 5,000 μg/ml BCST when treated for 24 hour, i.e. 1.5 normal cell cycle time. And also,in vivo clastogenicity of BCST was studied by acridine orange-supravital staining micronucleus assay using mouse peripheral reticulocytes. We used 2,000 mg/kg as the highest oral dose in this micronucleus assay because no acute oral toxicity of BCST was observed in mice. The optimum induction time of micronucleated reticulocytes (MNRETs) was determined as 36 hours after oral administration of 2,000 mg/kg BCST. No significant differences of MNRETs between control and BCST treatment groups were observedin vivo micronucleus assay. From these results, BCST revealed very weak positive result in chromosome aberration assayin vitro with CHL cells and no clastogenicity in micronucleus assayin vivo.

Vacuum hot pressing of Fe–Si–B–Nb-based amorphous powder cores and their high-frequency magnetic properties

FeSiBNb amorphous powder was prepared by gas atomization and subsequently consolidated into bulk amorphous cores by hot pressing after creating an oxide layer on the surface of the powder. FeSiBNb amorphous powders exhibiting a saturation magnetization of 127emu∕g and a coercivity of 0.34 Oe were successfully obtained by gas atomization. Hot pressing enabled consolidation of the FeSiBNb amorphous powder core within the supercooled liquid region. The core prepared from the FeSiBNb amorphous powder covered with an oxide layer of 1μm thickness showed excellent high-frequency characteristics with a stable permeability over 10 MHz and a core loss of 400mW∕cm3 at 50 kHz for Bm=0.1T. The oxide layer formed on the FeSiBNb amorphous powder was effective in improving the frequency dependence of magnetic properties and in reducing the core loss for the FeSiBNb amorphous powder cores.

Magnetic properties behaviors in Fe88Zr7B4Cu1 nanocrystalline alloy prepared by different postanneal cooling rates

Effects of cooling rate after annealing on the soft magnetic properties were investigated for an Fe88Zr7B4Cu1 alloy with nanoscale grain structure, which was prepared by melt quenching. As the cooling rate increased, the effective permeability improved and the remanence ratio, which indicates the orientation of magnetic anisotropy (degree of pair ordering), decreased. The increase of permeability and decrease of remanence ratio were considered to result from the suppression of the induced magnetic anisotropy. Furthermore, the variation of disaccommodation behaviors with cooling rate was investigated in the Fe88Zr7B4Cu1 nanocrystalline alloy. It was found that the value of D (intensity of disaccommodation) was a little higher for the samples obtained from the high cooling rate than that for the low cooling rate. This result can be explained by domain structure stabilization due to local induced magnetic anisotropy.

Magnetic aftereffect in nanocrystalline Fe88Zr7B4Cu1 alloy

The magnetic relaxation phenomenon was investigated by using the pulse method for an Fe88Zr7B4Cu1 alloy with nanoscale grain structure, which was prepared by melt quenching and a subsequent annealing. In order to know the relationship between the microstructure and the magnitude of magnetic aftereffect in the nanocrystalline state, annealing temperature dependence of volume fractions of crystalline bcc‐Fe and residual amorphous phase was also measured. It was found that disaccommodation occurred in this nanocrystalline alloy, and the intensity of disaccommodation decreased as the fraction of the crystalline bcc‐Fe phase increased. Moreover, the jumping field, defined by the magnetic field, at which initial magnetization curve rises abruptly decreased as the fraction of residual amorphous phase was reduced. From the observed results, the magnetic aftereffect was considered to result from the residual amorphous phase.

Stability enhancement of nanopillar structure for spin transfer magnetization switching using IrMn buffer layer

We report here the effect of ultrathin IrMn buffer layer on the magnetic and spin transport properties of spintronic structure for current-induced magnetization switching. The insertion of the ultrathin (∼1nm) IrMn buffer layer drastically enhanced the coercive field of the fixed ferromagnetic layer from 36 to 215Oe. Interestingly, the ultrathin IrMn buffer layer even enhanced the magnetoresistance ratio about 30%, and consequently the spin polarization effect was enhanced by reducing the critical current density of magnetization switching from 3.13×108 to 1.16×108A∕cm2.