C. Cheng, R. Davies, N. Sturcken, K. Shepard, and W. E. Bailey, “Optimization of ultra-soft CoZrTa/SiO2/CoZrTa trilayer elements for integrated inductor structures,” Journal of Applied Physics 113, 17A343 (2013).

We show the optimization of magnetic properties of ferromagnetic (FM)/SiO2/FM trilayer structures as potential candidates for the magnetic core in toroidal integrated inductors, with FM materials Co91.5Zr4.0Ta4.5 (CZT) and Ni80Fe20 (Py). In the single-layer parent films, we found a monotonic reduction of easy-axis coercivity (Hc down to 0.17 Oe in CZT, 0.4Oe in Py) with increasing dc magnetron sputtering voltage. In the trilayer rectangular structures, with induced easy-axis in the short lateral dimension, we found proof of dipolar coupling between the two FM layers from BH loop measurements in the CZT system, showing linear response with minimal hysteresis loss when the external field is applied in the long axis. Py elements did not show this optimized property. Further investigation of domain configurations using scanning transmission x-ray microscopy suggests an insufficient induced anisotropy in Py compared with the shape anisotropy to realize the antiparallel-coupled state.