Page 39 - European Energy Innovation - Spring 2016 publication
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Spring 2016 European Energy Innovation 39
COMMUNICATION
Spintronics: A path towards
ultra-low power electronics
Spintronics or spin-electronics when powered-off), the speed of SRAM Characterization of magnetization
is a merging between (used in Cache memory), the density switching dynamics at sub-nanosecond
magnetism and electronics. and write endurance of DRAM. Among time scale in spintronic devices
Whereas conventional all emerging non-volatile memory
microelectronics only uses the charge technologies (Phase change RAM, has filed more than 80 patents and
of the electrons, spintronics also uses resistive RAM), they are the only ones spun off three start-up companies:
its spin which is its intrinsic magnetic having a long enough write endurance Crocus Technology developing/
moment. Magnetic materials constitute to be used as main working memories producing magnetic memories and
spin polarizers and analyzers. As in in complex electronic circuits such as magnetic field sensors; EVADERIS, a
optics where polarizers and analyzers microprocessors. fabless company of design of ultra-low
can be used to tune light beam power hybrid silicium/magnetic circuits
intensity, magnetic stacks comprising Thanks to their non-volatility, they particularly suited for the Internet of
magnetic layers alternating with allow powering off all temporarily Things (IoT) and Hprobe developing
non-magnetic ones allow tuning the unused parts of electronic circuits STT-MRAM electronic probers. SPINTEC
electrical current flow. In 1988, Pr and instantaneously restart them on also received 4 grants from the
A.Fert and P.Grunberg independently demand. This significantly reduces their European Research Council in the past
discovered the phenomenon of Giant static power consumption (typically 6 years. l
Magnetoresistance (GMR) in magnetic >4x). In addition, since these magnetic
multilayers. This discovery launched memories do not use the properties of CONTACT DETAILS
this whole field of spintronics. They the silicon wafer, the memory level can For any information, contact us at
received the Nobel Physics Prize for be straightforwardly stacked above the direction.spintec@cea.fr
that in 2007. Since then, a number of logic level.
breakthrough discoveries such as the
possibility to switch the magnetization Compared to standard technology
of magnetic nanostructures by a current where logic and memory must be
flow, have dramatically expended the built side to side on the silicon wafer,
range of investigations in this field. this stacked approach makes the
communication between memory and
Since its birth, spintronics has logic much more efficient in terms of
largely benefited from a strong bandwidth and energy consumption.
synergy between basic research and This also reduces the dynamic power
applied developments. Materials consumption of electronic circuits.
called spin-valves exhibiting giant Thanks to this hybrid semiconductor/
magnetoresistance at low magnetic magnetic technology, a new Normally-
fields were introduced in the read Off/Instant-On electronics is emerging.
heads of hard disk drives (HDD) in In Europe, SPINTEC laboratory is
1998 allowing an annual doubling particularly active in discovering
of the areal density stored in HDD. new spintronic phenomena and
However, another very important implementing them in spintronic
application of spintronics is arising in devices.
microelectronics. Indeed, non-volatile
magnetic memories called STT-MRAM SPINTEC was created in 2002 to
(Spin-Transfer-Torque Magnetic bridge the gap between basic research
Random Access Memories) are about to and applications in spin-electronics.
reach large volume production. These Affiliated to CEA, CNRS and Grenoble
memories combine the non-volatility of Alpes University, it now counts 30
FLASH (ability to keep the information researchers. Since its creation, SPINTEC
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
