SBIR Phase I: Electric Field Driven Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory Based on Synthetic Multiferroics

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的目的是开发一种新型的磁阻随机存取存储器的合成多铁性的基础上。今天商业上使用的磁存储器利用电流进行磁化切换。由于开关效率相对较低，大量消耗的能量被浪费。本计画探讨利用压电及磁致伸缩材料合成多铁性材料进行磁化切换的可行性。使用多铁性材料的主要优点是能够通过电场控制磁化状态。利用电场而不是电流使得可以显著降低每个开关的能量。低功耗存储器件的需求非常迫切，这对于包括诸如蜂窝电话的无线设备以及由便携式能源偏置的其他设备的各种实际应用将是非常有益的。本项目第一阶段的目标是提供电场驱动磁存储器的可行性研究。该项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力包括在便携式电子设备和系统方面的根本性进步，这些设备和系统能够降低功耗，并在电池充电前提供更长的操作时间。快速且低功耗的多铁性存储器的发展具有最终取代市场上现有存储器元件的潜力。如果成功，该项目将通过提供快速，可扩展和非易失性存储设备，导致数据存储技术的革命性变化。公平地说，低功耗存储器的发展对社会有很大的好处，为各种电子设备提供更好的性能，并整体降低电力消耗。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop a novel type of Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory based on synthetic multiferroics. Magnetic memory commercially used today exploits an electric current for magnetization switching. The bulk of the consumed energy is wasted due to the relatively low switching efficiency. This project investigates the feasibility of using synthetic multiferroics comprising piezoelectric and magnetostrictive materials for magnetization switching. The key advantage of using multiferroics is the ability to control magnetization state by an electric field. The utilization of electric field instead of electric current makes it possible to significantly reduce the energy per switch. There is an urgent need in low-power consuming memory devices, which would be of great benefit for a variety of practical applications including wireless devices such as cellular phones as well as other devices biased by the portative energy sources. It is the goal of this Phase I project to provide the feasibility study of the electric-field driven magnetic memory.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project includes fundamental advances in portative electronic devices and systems enabling lower power consumption and providing longer operation before battery recharging. The development of fast and low power consuming multiferroic memory has the potential to eventually replace the existing memory elements in a market. If successful, this project will lead to a revolutionary change in the data storage technology by providing fast, scalable and non-volatile memory devices. It is fair to say that the development of low-power consuming memory is of great benefit for society offering better performance for a variety of electronic devices and the overall reduction of electricity consumption.