Abstract:

I will describe some of the unusual physical properties of semiconductor spintronic materials, and the novel device functionalities that may be achieved with them. As one example, new, reprogrammable transistor structures are possible that rely on electric-field control of the magnetic properties of semiconductors. A comparison of the fundamental limits of performance of an individual spin transistor with an individual charge-based transistor finds that the spin transistor can have superior room-temperature performance. This includes a lower threshold voltage and lower capacitance than on the semiconductor roadmap for field effect transistors for logic through 2018. Some of the outstanding materials challenges remaining before these devices can be realized will be described.
 
 
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