We present the fractal properties of the magnetic domain walls in (5-Å Co₉₀Fe₁₀/10-Å Pt)_n multilayer films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy for the number of repeats n (1 to 5). In these films, the magnetization reversed due to the domain wall propagation throughout the films with rare nucleations. As n increased, it was observed that the jaggedness of the domain walls increased noticeably, which is possibly due to the accumulation of irregularities at the layer interfaces. The jaggedness of the domain walls was analyzed in terms of the fractal dimension by use of the ruler method, and it was revealed that the fractal dimension significantly changed from 1.0±0.002 to 1.3±0.05 as n increased from 1 to 5.

We investigated spin-polarized current switching of Pac-man type II (PM-II) nanoelements in Pac-man shaped nanoscale spin-valves (Co/Cu/Py) using micromagnetic simulations. The effects of slot angle and antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer were simulated to obtain optimum switching in less than 2 ns. At a critical slot angle of 105°, the lowest current density for anti-parallel to parallel (AP-P) switching was observed due to no vortex or antivortex formation during the magnetic reversal process. All other slot angles for AP-P formed a vortex or antivortex during the magnetization reversal process. Additionally, a vortex or anti-vortex formed for all slot angles for parallel to anti-parallel (P-AP) switching. The addition of an AFM layer caused the current density to decrease significantly for AP-P and P-AP at slot angles less than 90°. However, at slot angles greater than 90°, the current density tended to decrease by less amounts or actually increased slightly as shape anisotropy became more dominant. This allowed ultra-fast switching with 5.05 and 5.65 x 10⁸ A/cm² current densities for AP-P and P-AP, respectively, at a slot angle of 105°.

Fe50Cr50 metastable alloys were prepared by the mechanical alloying method with milling periods of 1, 2, 4, 6, 12 and 24 hours, respectively. The structural evolution was analyzed by the extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS). In this work, the EXAFS analysis provided the local structural information around Fe central atom. The saturation magnetization was also measured by VSM. The magnetization decreased as the process mechanical alloying progressed. The magnetic property was related to the local structural variation as a function of processing time. The analysis showed that the diffusion Cr atoms into Fe clusters caused the reduction of magnetization. EXAFS analysis exhibited that the local ordering of magnetic atoms caused the magnetic ordering. Also, EXAFS analysis showed that the long range order of Fe atoms was destroyed completely in 24 hour milling.

We have investigated a surfactant-assisted sonochemical approach to produce monodisperse Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs). The non-ionic surfactant Igepal CO-520 (Poly(oxyethylene)(5) nonylphenyl ether) has been used for the preparation of NPs and the effects on the NP size, size distribution, and magnetic properties have been studied. The Fe₃O₄ NPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The results reveal that the NPs prepared by a Igepal CO- 520-assisted sonochemical method exhibit a narrow range of size distributions and a high monodispersity compared to the NPs from the conventional sonochemical method. The analysis of NPs prepared in the presence of the surfactant suggested that it could be used not only as a protector to prevent the oxidation of Fe (II), but also as a controller to vary the size of the NPs.

An accurate analytical equation for the total energy in the framework of the single domain model is used to study the thermal stability of nanostructured synthetic ferrimagnets. Elliptical cells are considered that have lateral dimensions of 160 nm (long axis)×80 nm (short axis) and varying values of thickness asymmetry for the two magnetic layers. The direction of the applied magnetic field, which points to the 45o direction, is in the opposite direction to the thicker layer magnetization. A significant difference is observed in the applied magnetic field dependencies of the equilibrium magnetic configuration and the magnetic energy barrier when using the simplifying assumption that the self-demagnetizing field is identical in magnitude to the dipole field. At a small thickness asymmetry of 0.2 nm, for example, the magnetic energy barrier is reduced from 68 kT (T=300 K) to 6 kT at the remanent state and a progressive switching behavior changes into a critical behavior, as the simplifying assumption is used. The present results clearly demonstrate the need for an accurate analytical equation for the total energy in predicting the thermal stability of nanostructured synthetic ferrimagnets.

The use of a cooling fan in an induction cooker raises a reliability issue due to the attraction of dust causing a malfunction of the cooling fan and also increases the noise level and power consumption of the device. The purpose of this study is to attempt to solve these problems by molding the Cu coil of an induction cooker with polymer composites that have a low electrical conductivity but a high thermal conductivity. Among the several polymer composites tested in this study, an aluminum nitride-based composite showed the best performance. The results show that the new induction cooker with the molded composite can operate for an extended period of time without the use of a cooling fan. A further advantage of this new type of induction cooker is that the temperature of the substance in the cooking pot increases more rapidly, indicating an increased efficiency of the induction cooker.

In this paper, we propose a new design of the permanent magnet reluctance wheel which will make it possible to attach the robot to a vertical plane and move it. In the newly suggested design, a permanent magnet is utilized to enhance the adhesive force during attachment, and an electromagnet is produced to weaken the magnetic field of the permanent magnet and reduce the adhesive force for easier detachment of wheels from steel plates. To characterize the performance of this new wheel design, a 3-D finite element analysis is executed using a commercial FE program. The results show that the adhesive force is reduced effectively by the electromagnet which flows in the reverse direction of the magnetic loop of the permanent magnet when the current is supplied to the coil.

Plasma etching of SiO₂ contact holes was statistically analyzed by a fractional factorial experimental design. The analysis revealed the dependence of the etch rate and DC self-bias voltage on the input factors of the magnetically enhanced reactive ion etching reactor, including gas pressure, magnetic field, and the gas flow rates of CHF₃, CF₄, and Ar. Empirical models of the DC self-bias voltage and etch rate were obtained. The DC self-bias voltage was found to be determined mainly by the operating pressure and the magnetic field, and the etch rate was related mainly to the pressure and the flow rates of Ar and CHF₃.

This paper reports the development of an analysis method in a synchronous reluctance motor (SynRM) using the finite element method (FEM) coupled with the electromagnetic field of the Preisach model, which represents an additional thermal source due to hysteresis loss and a thermal field. This study focused on thermal analysis relative to hysteresis and copper losses in a SynRM.

Rotary-type voice coil motors are widely used as actuators in hard disk drives. The recent trend toward higher density and smaller form factors in data storage devices requires performance improvement of the voice coil motor. In this study, we introduce a Halbach magnet array to the voice coil motor in order to increase the force generation. The Halbach magnetic circuit outperforms the conventional magnetic circuit due to the confined magnetic flux. To investigate the performance of the Halbach magnetic circuit, we analyze air gap flux density with the various shapes and thickness of the magnets using 3-dimensional finite element analysis. Consequently the optimum shape of the Halbach magnetic circuit is proposed. Simulations and experimental results proved effectiveness of the proposed magnet array in the voice coil motor for a commercial hard disk drive.