Spin injection, transport, and read/write operation in spin-based MOSFET

We proposed a novel spin-based MOSFET “Spin-Transfer-torque-Switching MOSFET (STS-MOSFET)” that offers non-volatile memory and transistor functions with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatibility, high endurance and fast write time using STS. The STS-MOSFETs with Heusler alloy (Co₂Fe₁Al_0.5Si_0.5) were prepared and reconfigurability of a novel spintronics-based MOSFET, STS-MOSFET, was successfully realized for the transport properties owing to reduction of the contact resistance in ferromagnetic metal/thin insulator tunnel barrier/Si junctions. The device showed magnetocurrent (MC) and write characteristics with the endurance of over 10⁵ cycles. It was also clarified that the read characteristic can be improved in terms of MC ratio, however, is deteriorated in terms of the mobility by choosing connection configurations of the source and the drain in the STS-MOSFETs.