SPINTRONICS 

PRESENTED BY
CH.PRAGATHI(11C31A0497)

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

BALAJI INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE
(Affiliated to JNTU, Hyderabad)
LAKNEPALLY, NARSAMPET, WARANGAL – 506 331

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 WHAT IS
SPINTRONIC
S?

Spintronics also known as magneto electronics,

manipulates the electron spin and resulting magnetic
moment, to achieve improved functionalities e.g. Spin
transistors, memories etc.
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 The charge is the origin
of electricity, and its flow
leads to an electric
(charge) current.

On the other hand,

the spin gives rise
to magnetism and SPIN CURRENT
its flow is called
spin current.

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Using magnetization dynamics induced by ferromagnetic resonance researchers
have succeeded in injecting spin currents into semiconductors with a very high
efficiency (103 times larger than before)

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 How it all began??

Spintronics came into light by the advent of Giant

Magneto Resistance (GMR) in 1988.

In 1988, the giant magneto resistance (GMR) effect was

discovered in multilayer structures that contain layers of
ferromagnetic metals separated by a thin spacer of
normal metal.

The Nobel Prize for physics in 2007 was awarded to the

discoverers of Giant Magneto-Resistance, or GMR for
short.

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Giant Magneto Resistance
The resistance of such structures depends greatly on
the relative magnetic orientation of neighbouring
magnetic layers, making it attractive for application in
highly sensitive magnetic field sensors.

PARALLEL CURRENT

• Current runs parallel between the ferromagnetic layers.

• Most commonly used in magnetic read heads.
• Has shown 200% resistance difference between zero point and antiparallel
states.

PERPENDICULAR CURRENT

One FM layer as spin polarizer and other as detector.

Has shown 70% resistance difference between zero point and

antiparallel states.

Basis for Tunneling Magneto Resistance. 6

Some More spintronic Devices

Tunnel Magneto Resistance (TMR)

Magnetic Tunnel Junctions (MTJ)

Spin Valve

Spin Transfer Torque (STT)

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HOW SEMICONDUCTOR CAN BE COMBINED WITH
FERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS ?

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1. HYBRID SYSTEM

The most An array of The drawback

magnetic memory lies in the fact
straightforw elements is placed that it does not
ard on top of utilises the
semiconductor
approach is wafer containing
unique property
the one transistors and of
other circuitry semiconductor
employed in required to drive in manipulating
MRAM the memory. spin.
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 2. MAGNETIC
SEMICONDUCTORS

The most intimate form Such materials can

of integration is to put be obtained by
magnetic properties
doping with a
into semiconductor
materials, thus creating certain amount of
ferromagnetic magnetic atoms, as
semiconductors. in case of GaMnAs.
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 3. Hybrid devices

The hunt is now on for compounds that exhibit both semiconducting and
ferromagnetic properties at temperatures well above room temperature.

As seen above clearly magnetic film layer is grown over silicon substrate and a
silicon layer above it.

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 What is spin valve transistor?
The SVT was introduced in 1995 and is the first working hybrid device in
which Ferro magnets and semiconductors have been closely integrated, and
both materials are essential in controlling the electrical transport through
the device.

Spin transistors would allow control of the spin current in the same manner
that conventional transistors can switch charge currents.

Consists of a silicon emitter, a magnetic multi-layer as the base and a silicon

collector.

SVT is a hot electron device.

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 Device Characteristics

Figure 2. Basic layout of the SVT, showing the three terminal

arrangement with semiconductor emitter (top), semiconductor
collector (bottom), and the metallic base comprising two
ferromagnetic thin layers separated by normal metals (middle).
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The three-terminal device has the typical
emitter/base/collector structure of a (bipolar) transistor,
but is different in that the base region is metallic and
contains at least two magnetic layers separated by a
normal metal spacer.

The two magnetic layers act as polarizer and analyser of

electron spins, such that the relative orientation of the
magnetization of the two layers determines the
transmission of the base.

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The resulting salient feature of the SVT is that the
collector current depends on the magnetic state of the
base.

They succeeded in the reproducible fabrication of SVTs

that exhibit magnetocurrent effects up to 400% at
room temperature, and in small magnetic fields of
only a few Oe.

the SVT is based on the spin-dependent transport of

non-equilibrium, so-called hot electrons, rather than
Fermi electrons.

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 APPLICATIONS
Spin transistors have huge potential for incorporation in stable, high sensitivity magnetic field sensors for
automotive, robotic, mechanical engg. & data storage applications.

This may also be used as Magnetically Controlled Parametric Amplifiers & Mixers, as magnetic signal
processors, for control of brush less DC motors & as Magnetic Logic elements.

In log applications they have the advantage over conventional semiconductor chips that they do not require
power to maintain their memory state.

Quantum Computer, a new trend in computing. Here we use Qubits instead of bits. Qubit also represents
only 1& 0 but here they show superposition these classical states. But it is in pioneering stage.

There are major efforts ongoing at Honeywell, IBM, Motorola in developing RAM based on spin valves and
metal tunnel junctions such devices called MRAM have demonstrated faster speed, high density low power
consumption, non-volatility and radiation harness they are promising replacements for the Semi Conducting
RAM currently used.

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 ADVANTAGES OF SVT (SPIN VALVE TRANSISTOR)

Traditional transistors use on & off charge currents to create bits – the binary 0 & 1
of Computer information. Quantum spin field effect transistor will use up & down
spin states to generate the same binary data.

Amplification and / or switching properties of the Device can be controlled by the

external magnetic field applied to the device.

One of the problems of charge current electrons is that we pack more devices
together, the chip heats up. Spin current releases heat but it is rather less.

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 Conclusion
Spinvalve transistor is more versatile and more robust but it
needs further fabrication methods to improve magnetic
sensitivity of collector current.

The greatest hurdle for spintronic engineers may be controlling all

that spin.

The key question will be whether any potential benefit of such

technology will be worth the production cost.

Spin valve transistors and other spin devices will become

affordable by using common metals.
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THANK YOU !

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