Silicon spintronics: Progress and challenges
نویسندگان
چکیده
Electron spin attractsmuch attention as an alternative to the electron charge degree of freedom for low-power reprogrammable logic and non-volatile memory applications. Silicon appears to be the perfect material for spin-driven applications. Recent progress and challenges regarding spin-based devices are reviewed. An order of magnitude enhancement of the electron spin lifetime in silicon thin films by shear strain is predicted and its impact on spin transport in SpinFETs is discussed. A relatively weak coupling between spin and effective electric field in silicon allows magnetoresistance modulation at room temperature, however, for long channel lengths. Due to tunneling magnetoresistance and spin transfer torque effects, amuch stronger coupling between the spin (magnetization) orientation and charge current is achieved in magnetic tunnel junctions. Magnetic random access memory (MRAM) built on magnetic tunnel junctions is CMOS compatible and possesses all properties needed for future universal memory. Designs of spin-based non-volatile MRAM cells are presented. Bymeans ofmicromagnetic simulations it is demonstrated that a substantial reduction of the switching time can be achieved. Finally, it is shown that any two arbitrary memory cells from an MRAM array can be used to perform a logic operation. Thus, an intrinsic non-volatile logic-in-memory architecture can be realized. © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
منابع مشابه
Silicon spintronics.
Worldwide efforts are underway to integrate semiconductors and magnetic materials, aiming to create a revolutionary and energy-efficient information technology in which digital data are encoded in the spin of electrons. Implementing spin functionality in silicon, the mainstream semiconductor, is vital to establish a spin-based electronics with potential to change information technology beyond i...
متن کاملSemiconductor Spintronics
We review recent progress made in the field of semiconductor spintronics, a branch of semiconductor electronics where both charge and spin degrees of freedom play an important role in realizing unique functionalities. We first describe the new spin-dependent phenomena found in semiconductors including carrier-induced ferromagnetism in III–V compounds, followed by an account of our current under...
متن کاملValley Splitting and Spin Lifetime Enhancement in Strained Silicon Heterostructures
Semiconductor spintronics is promising because it potentially allows creating data storages and processing elements that are smaller and consume less energy than present charge-based microelectronic devices. Silicon is an ideal material for spintronic applications due to the long spin lifetime in the bulk material. However, large spin relaxation was experimentally observed in gated silicon stru...
متن کاملInterface engineering of spin - tunnel contacts to silicon Towards silicon - based spintronic devices
متن کامل
Spin Lifetime Enhancement by Shear Strain in Thin Silicon-On-Insulator Films
Spintronics attracts at present much interest because of the potential to build novel spin-based devices which are superior to nowadays charge-based microelectronic elements. Utilizing spin properties of electrons opens great opportunities to reduce device power consumption in future electronic circuits. Silicon, the main element of microelectronics, is promising for spin-driven applications. U...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
عنوان ژورنال:
دوره شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2015