SHF:Small: Compact Modeling of Spintronic Magnetic Tunnel Junctions

University Of Rochester, Rochester NY

Investigators

Abstract

It is now well accepted that scaling of classical transistor technology is coming to an end. Novel emerging device technologies will need to be developed to continue the microelectronics evolution that has driven the world of computing, communications, defense, automation, transportation, and health for so many years. Many technologies are being considered for this next step beyond the semiconductor evolution. One technology that has demanded a great deal of attention is magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ). This technology exhibits outstanding performance, density, and power characteristics, and is particularly noteworthy due to the inherent nonvolatile nature of these devices. One immediate application is as a low power replacement for solid-state memory, and is called magnetic randomly accessible memory (MRAM). In addition to advancing the state-of-the-art in computing, other outcomes of this project will enhance the graduate and undergraduate educational experience while transferring important new technology to US industry. To support the use of this novel technology in designing new integrated circuits and inventing novel applications, models will need to be developed that characterize the speed, power, endurance, and reliability of these emerging devices. The focus of this project is to develop both accurate and efficient models of magnetic tunnel junctions. These models will accurately capture the electrical, thermal, and magnetic behavior of two and three terminal MTJ, and will thereby support the development of next generation, large scale, heterogeneous integrated circuits.