MOS-Based Spin Devices for Reconfigurable Logic

Abstract

Semiconductor-based spin transistors are expected to give a new spin degree of freedom in future electronics. While many different spin transistors have been proposed and studied, the spin MOSFET is one of the most promising devices, because it can have spin-dependent output characteristics, transistor functions, and good compatibility with existing silicon technology. The device concept, structures of various types of spin MOSFETs, operation principles, calculated output characteristics, and applications was reviewed. It is shown that the output characteristics of the spin MOSFETs depend on the relative magnetization configuration of the two ferromagnetic layers in the device, that is, high current-drive capability in parallel magnetization and low current-drive capability in antiparallel magnetization. Furthermore, nonvolatile memory and reconfigurable logic gates was presented using spin MOSFETs, where the logic functions can be changed by switching their magnetization configurations. Circuit design and numerical simulations of reconfigurable gates for NAND/NOR, AND/OR, and all symmetric Boolean functions was shown