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We investigate the switching dynamics of a 75°-canted Spin–orbit torque (SOT) device with an in-plane easy axis using the micro-magnetic simulation. The switching time (τ) is evaluated from the time evolution of the magnetization. The device with a strong out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy (μ0Hkeff = −0.08 T) shows τ = 0.19 ns while a device with a strong in-plane magnetic anisotropy (μ0Hkeff = −0.9 T) shows τ = 0.32 ns. The increase of the damping constant (α) results in the increase of τ for both devices and the sub-nanosecond switching could be retained as α < 0.14 in the device with μ0Hkeff = −0.08 T, while this was achieved as α < 0.04 in the device with μ0Hkeff = −0.9 T. Furthermore when the field-like coefficient (β) is increased, it leads to a decrease in τ, which can be reduced to 0.03 ns by increasing β to 1 in the device with μ0Hkeff = −0.08 T. In order to achieve the same result in the device with μ0Hkeff = −0.9 T, β must be increased to 6. These results indicate a way to achieve ultrafast field-free SOT switching of a few tens of picoseconds in nanometer-sized magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We improve thermal tolerance of a Co/Pt based synthetic ferrimagnetic (SyF) reference layer in a CoFeB/MgO-based perpendicular anisotropy magnetic tunnel junction by employing a surface modification treatment (SMT) using Ar plasma on a Pt buffer layer underneath the SyF layer. A higher perpendicular anisotropy and more robustness against annealing for the SyF reference layer is observed by the employment of SMT. From the cross-sectional scanning transmission electron microscope of the magnetic tunnel junction and atomic force microscopy on the Pt buffer layer, SMT has no significant effect on the surface roughness of the Pt buffer layer. On the other hand, X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that SMT increases the lattice spacing of the Pt buffer layer and shrinks that of the Co/Pt multilayer, which are maintained after annealing at 400 °C. Those structural changes could lead to the improvement of perpendicular anisotropy and thermal tolerance against annealing. A high-resolution Rutherford backscattering analysis reveals that Ar ions used for SMT penetrate to the Pt buffer layer, resulting in variation of the lattice spacing for the Pt buffer layer and Co/Pt multilayer. In addition, suppression of Fe diffusion from the CoFeB reference layer to the bottom Co/Pt multilayer is observed by using energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, which also contributes to the higher thermal tolerance against annealing. The present observation reveals that the employment of SMT enables one to obtain both high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and high robustness against annealing through crystallographic change of the Co/Pt multilayer and suppression of Fe diffusion from CoFeB layer into the Co/Pt multilayer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes an experimental study of pattern recognition of partial discharge (PD) in a crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) cable by using a neural network (NN) system. The NN system was a three-layer artificial neural system with feedforward connections, and its learning method was a backpropagation algorithm incorporating an external teacher signal. Input information for the NN was a combination of the discharge magnitude, the number of pulse counts and the phase angle of applied voltage in which PD is produced. PD measurement was carried out using a PD pulse recorder for a 66 kV XLPE cable with an artificial defect under a 38 kV ac applied voltage. After learning 30 typical input patterns, the NN discriminated unknown patterns with 90% correct responses. The time duration including measuring time required for the NN to discriminate PD signal was 30 s. In a long-term performance test of a 66 kV XLPE cable with an artificial defect, the NN-based alarm processor was able to recognize the presence of PD 1 h before breakdown of the cable, and successfully alerted the operator.

In order to recover the patterning damage and improve the electric and magnetic properties of the patterned magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), the novel post-treatment process using oxygen ions has been studied. Generally, the oxygen is known as an unsuitable gas for the MTJs patterning because it causes degradation of the patterned MTJs by over-oxidation of MgO. By the way, if the damaged layer could be oxidized selectively without over-oxidation of the damage-less area, oxygen can be the most effective gas to recover the patterning damage of the MTJs. In this study, for the selective oxidation, we proposed the non-reactive oxygen treatment scheme called the oxygen showering post-treatment process (OSP) using an ozone diffusion chamber. By the specific OSP conditions, 8 l/min of the flow rate, 250 °C of the temperature, and 30 s of the time, the magneto-resistance (MR) was increased from 103% to 110%, and the switching current was decreased from 41.1 μA to 31.6 μA when compared with reference data at the same resistance level. These results show that the electric and magnetic properties of the patterned MTJs by the OSP treatment have been improved compared to the reference sample. The improvement in electric and magnetic properties by the OSP treatment is assumed because the reference sample already contains slight patterning damages at the edge of the MTJs despite the optimized patterning process, and these damages have been oxidized by the OSP treatment. Moreover, by the OSP treatment, the proportion of the electric short fail was dramatically decreased from 1.51% to 0%, which is a remarkable improvement in terms of a successful commercialization of spintronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]