Research Equipment
MAGNETIZATION AND ANISOTROPY MAGNETOMETERS
- High-Field Two-Axis Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (DMS-880)
- Low-Field Air Core Vibrating Sample Magnetometer
- Torque Magnetometer
- BH Hysteresis Loop Tester (Bacon)
- Atomic, Magnetic Force Microscope, and Nanoindentor (Digital Instruments Nanoscope III)
- Four Point Probe Magnetoresistance Tester
OPTICAL AND MAGNETO-OPTICAL MAGNETOMETERS
- Optical Microscope (Olympia)
- Interference Optical Microscope (Reikert)
- Optical Ellipsometer (Rudolf)
- Kerr Magneto-Optical Image Analyzer (Zeiss)
- Kerr Magneto-Optical Magnetometer (Rigid Disk)
ELECTRON MICROSCOPES AND SPECTROMETERS
- Transmission Electron Microscopes (Hitachi HU-11 & RCA 4C)
- Scanning Electron Microscope (International Scientific Instruments DS 130C)
- Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometer (Tencor)
- Electron Mirror Microscope (General Mills)
- Scanning Auger Electron Spectrometer (PE-495)
THIN FILM DEPOSITION SYSTEMS
- Varian Electron Beam Evaporator (4 sources)
- RD Mathis RF Sputtering System (3 targets)
- Perkin Elmer 2400-8SA RF Sputtering System (3 targets)
- Temescal Load-Locked RF/DC Rotating Drum Sputtering System (3 targets)
- Hewlett-Packard (CPA) Load-Locked RF/DC In-Line Sputtering System (5 chambers)
- Hewlett-Packard (Comtech) Load-Locked RF/DC In-Line Sputtering System (7 chambers)
- Osaka Vacuum DC/RF Magnetron Single Station Facing Target Sputtering System
- Dual Ion Beam (5 cm and 15 cm) Load-Locked Sputtering System (6 targets) (retrofitting)
- Ultra-High Vacuum (UHV) Load-Locked Co-Sputtering System (8 targets) (retrofitting)
- DC/RF Magnetron Six Station Facing Target Sputtering System (design/construction)
MAGNETIC RECORDING
- Rotating Drum Tape Tester
- Floppy Disk Tester (Media Logic)
- Single Rigid Disk Recording Tester (PCT)
- Single Rigid Disk Recording Tester (Guzik 501)
- Rigid Disk Recording Tester, XY Compumotor Positioner, Professional Instruments 3R Blockhead Air Bearing Spindle
- Rigid Disk Recording Tester, Laser interferometer, Piezo-electric, Professional Instruments 3R Blockhead Air Bearing Spindle
- Multiple-Wavelength Precision Fly-Height Tester, Air Bearing Spindle (IBM )
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERIZATION SYSTEMS
- HP 8753E RF Network Analyzer (30 kHz to 3 GHz)
- HP 8150SX Microwave Network Analyzer (45 MHz to 26.5 GHz)
- HP 4194 Impedance/Gain-Phase Analyzer (100 Hz to 40 MHz; L-I capability)
- Cascade Microtech Coaxial Signal-Ground Probes (200 and 500-micron pitches)
- XYZ Micropositioning Station
TRIBOLOGY
- Precision Rigid Disk Stiction, Friction, and Wear Tester
- Precision Burnisher (IBM)
- Mechanical Surface Profilometer (Talysurf)
Research Capabilities: 5-100 Gbits/in^2
- Deposition Higher-Coercivity Lower-Noise Long/PerpThin Film Media (Judy, Sivertsen)
- Ultra-thin film media by ultra-high vacuum (UHV), dual-ion-beam (DIB), & facing-target sputtering (FTS)
- Ultra-thin wear-resistant tribo-materials such as CN, BC, TiCN films on media and thin film head sliders
- Characterization of nano-scale properties by TEM/EELS and roughness/hardness by AFM/Nano-Indentor
- High-performance sendust (AlFeSi) and cobalt-zirconium-niobium (CZN) keepered thin film media
- Nano-lithographically-patterned thin film disk media & GMR magnetic random access memories (MRAM)
- Deposition High-Bs & High-Perm Films: Inductive, MR, GMR Heads (Judy, Sivertsen)
- High-saturation magnetic flux-density multilayer thin films for inductive TF heads by UHV, DIB, FTS
- High permeability, low-coercivity, high-sensitivity multilayer MR/GMR,/TMR films by UHV, DIB, FTS
- High-thermal conductivity ultra-thin insulating (Al2O3) films for inductive TF/MR heads by FTS
- Characterization of nano-scale properties by TEM/EELS &magnetic microstructures by MFM/LorentzTEM
- Correlation of magnetic microstructures with detection sensitivity & domain stability of heads using MFM
- Micromagnetic Modeling of Multilayer Thin Film Media, Heads, & Memories (TBD)
- Simulation of magnetic recording performance of multilayer thin film media at ultra-high areal densities
- Simulation of noise/off-track performance of ultra-narrow track magnetic recording & track-edge overwrite
- Calculation of signal, noise, signal-to-noise ratio, and bit-error-rate at ultra-high areal recording densities
- Calculation of effects of multilayer-structured thin film media on noise, signal -to-noise ratio, bit-error-rate
- Calculation of effects of grain orientation and shape distributions on noise, signal-to-noise ratio, and BER
- Simulations of saturation of TF inductive write heads & domain stability of MR, DSMR, GMR read heads
- Simulations of ultra-high-speed switching of TF media, TF inductive write, MR, DSMR, GMR read heads
- Simulations of nano-lithographically-patterned thin film media & GMR magnetic random access memories
- Measurement & Analysis Recording/Noise at Ultra-High-Areal-Densities (TBD, Judy)
- Ultra-narrow-track testing using air-bearing spindle with laser interferometer & piezoelectric-positioners
- Recording characteristics using low-flying TF inductive write heads and MR, DSMR, GMR read heads
- Signal output and noise and BER characteristics using ultra-narrow-track MR, DSMR, GMR read heads
- Comparison of recording characteristics using "direct-contact" longitudinal and perpendicular TF heads
- Correlation of magnetic microstructures with media noise and signal-to-noise using MFM & Lorentz TEM
- Ultra-high speed switching characteristics of TF media & TF inductive write, MR/DSMR/GMR read heads
- Thermal decay characteristics of ultra-thin film media & ultra-thin film MR/DSMR/GMR/TMR read heads
- Modeling & Evaluation Channel Bit-Error-Rates at Ultra-High-Areal-Densities (Moon)
- Modeling & evaluation of bit-error-rates of partial response channels: (1,7) PR-4ML, EEPR-4ML
- Analysis of medium noise correlation and impact on bit-error-rate (BER) performance
- Testing channels with different types of noise using readback waveform simulator
- Signal space implementation of FDTS/DF for low-cost and ultra-high-speed recording channels
- Code designs to improve distance in FDTS/DF