Tuning the permeability of permalloy films for on-chip inductor applications

摘要

In this work, we demonstrate that the permeability of 1 u0002m thick NiFe/Cr multilayer films can bentuned by varying the thickness of individual NiFe layers while keeping the total multilayer filmnthickness constant. Our results show that the permeability can be increased from 170 to 650 bynvarying the NiFe thicknesses from 100 to 50 nm. The thickness dependant permeability variationnwas attributed to the presence of stripe domains, as examined by hysteresis measurements andnmagnetic force microscope imaging. Films with thinner NiFe layers coupled with on-chip spiralninductors enable an inductance increase by a factor of 6. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.nu0004doi:10.1063/1.3502478