PHYSICAL BIOMAGNETIC SENSORS for DISEASE DIAGNOSIS

Five basic magnetic and physical phenomena are extensively considered for the biomagnetic sensor applications: 1) Giant magentoresistance, or Tunneling magnetoresistance effects, 2) Giant magneto-impedance effects, 3) Anomalous giant hall effects, 4) ferromagnetic resonance, and 5) Giant magnetostriction effects. Our research group is currently working on various types of biomagnetic sensors for disease diagnosis such as cancer warning sensor, nano-structured magnetic pressure sensor and immunoglobline sensor based on above five basic magnetic and physical phenomena with nano-fabrication process technology.

MAGNETIC NANO-PARTICLES IN BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS

Magnetic nano-particles offer some attractive bio-application possibilities due to their special structural, magnetic, chemical, and biological properties and bio-technical advantages. The main applications of magnetic nano-particles in bio-medicine, which are currently considered, are magnetic tagging or addressing, drug delivery, MRI contrast agents, agent for disease diagnosis biosensor, and hyperthermia agents for malignant cancer treatment. With regards to this research area, our research group is working on various nano-size particle applications such as development of superparamagnetic ferrite nano-particles for an in-vivo hyperthermia, development of special coating techniques for a cell repairing agent, and applications of superpramagnetic nano-particle fluidics for ophthalmology.

METALLIC BASED SPINTRONIC AND MAGNETOELECTRONIC DEVICES

In order to comply with the rapid development of electronics, an ultra high speed, a extremely low power consumable, and an ultra low dimensional passive or active devices are essentially required. Accordingly, applied metallic based magentoelectronic (or spintronic) devices are currently paid considerable attentions, because these devices can satisfy the urgent requirements that the conventional electronics are facing with. With regards to this research area, our research group is working on developing various solid state magentoelectronic devices for memory, communication, and other active electronic components such as, spin transfer switching device, spin transfer perpendicular MRAM, GMR or TMR isolator for communication device, spin filter amplifier including bipolar transistor, voltage stabilizer, A/D or D/A converter for realizing all components in one-chip, Schmitt trigger, and GMR (or TMR) digital latches etc.

ADVANCED INFORMATION STORAGE DEVICES

Recently, as the areal density of magnetic recording hard disk drive technology is being dramatically increased up to 1 Tbit/in2 at an incredible rate of 200 % per year, a smart read sensor with high sensitivity, high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and extremely narrow track width and small shield-to-shield gap and high magnetic moment with very strong bareness writer are essentially required. In addition, high thermally-stable and high K-anisotropy recording media (including perpendicular and longitudinal) are essentially considered to be developed. In order to comply with this current technical requirements, our research group is focusing on the researches such as new types of CCP-CPP GMR sensor, low noise TMR sensor with ALD deposited oxide tunnel barrier, electrical reliability of GMR and TMR read sensor, study on the physical nature of noise, and oxide based NZB (Nb-Zr-B) high saturation magnetic moment with high ferromagnetic resonance frequency thin films for writer etc.

PHYSICS OF MAGNETIC THIN FILMS

The relationship between physical thin film structures with different physical dimensions and magnetic properties is the crucial factor for the magnetic thin film devices including biomagnetic, spintronic, and other information storage devices. Exchange bias of bi-layered thin films, nano-structured magnetic domain, basic spin-valve structured thin films, magnetic multi-layers, and high saturation magnetic moment thin films etc. are currently investigated in terms of physics of magnetism.