A Haynes–Shockley experiment for spin-polarized electron transport in silicon

Abstract

Haynes and Shockley’s seminal measurements of minority-carrier transport in semiconductors 60 years ago ushered in a new age of solid-state electronics. However, device scaling issues now compel us to look toward alternative state variables other than charge. Manipulation of electron magnetic moment, or “spin”, in semiconductor devices could satisfy this need. The basics of this spin-based technology are discussed and the specific methods necessary for application to silicon are described. Similar to the Haynes–Shockley experiment, we also use a four-terminal device to make fundamental measurements of electron transport parameters that are now sensitive to spin, but without time-of-flight techniques.