NER: Characterizing and Modeling Magnetic Tunnel Junction Devices for a Spintronics-based Processor

这项研究的目的是论证使用基于自旋电子学的磁性隧道结器件来实现复杂数字系统的可行性。该方法是在NSF支持的明尼苏达大学纳米加工中心使用研究人员先前演示的磁性隧道结原型器件设计和制造一位全加器。与该制造过程同时，将设计和模拟将利用磁门的可编程性的多操作位串联功能单元。除了这个初步的可行性研究之外，最终的目标是完全利用这些新型的非电荷自旋电子学设备来设计一个全功能的处理器。这个项目的主要智力优势是开发新的技术和电路，这将导致理解如何用磁隧道结门来构造复杂的计算元件。对这项新兴技术的创新利用将大大扩大对自旋电子学设备的理解，最终将这项技术的潜在优势融入未来的系统中。由于这项工作的探索性很强，工业界不太可能从事这项工作。然而，它拥有巨大的希望来帮助推动未来的计算趋势，使其非常适合政府支持。该项目的广泛影响包括对同时强调设备制造和计算的新一代研究人员的多学科培训，以及为未被充分代表的群体提供参与令人兴奋的新研究领域的机会。现有的合作将有助于将该项目中开发的新技术迅速转移到行业中。

The objective of this research is to demonstrate the feasibility of using spintronics-based magnetic tunnel junction devices to implement complex digital systems. The approach is to design and fabricate a single-bit full adder at the NSF-supported University of Minnesota Nanofabrication Center using the prototype magnetic tunnel junction devices previously demonstrated by the investigators. Concurrently with this fabrication process, a multi-operation bit-serial function unit that will take advantage of the programmability of the magnetic gates will be designed and simulated. The ultimate goal beyond this initial feasibility study is to design a fully functional processor entirely from these novel non-charge-based spintronics devices.The primary intellectual merit of this project is the development of new techniques and circuits that will lead to an understanding of how to construct complex computational elements from the magnetic tunnel junction gates. The innovative exploitation of this emerging technology will significantly expand the understanding of spintronics devices to eventually incorporate the potential advantages of this technology into future systems. Due to the highly exploratory nature of this work, it is unlikely that it would be pursued by industry. Yet it holds tremendous promise to help drive future computing trends, making it very appropriate for government support.Broader impacts of this project include multidisciplinary training of a new generation of researchers that emphasizes both device fabrication and computing, and opportunities for underrepresented groups to participate in an exciting new research area. Existing collaborations will help to quickly transfer to industry the novel technology developed in this project.