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Complementary logic operation based on electric-field controlled spin–orbit torques

Nature Electronics volume 1, pages 398–403 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

Spintronic devices offer low power consumption, built-in memory, high scalability and reconfigurability, and could therefore provide an alternative to traditional semiconductor-based electronic devices. However, for spintronic devices to be useful in computing, complementary logic operation using spintronic logic gates is likely to be required. Here we report a complementary spin logic device using electric-field controlled spin–orbit torque switching in a heavy metal/ferromagnet/oxide structure. We show that the critical current for spin–orbit-torque-induced switching of perpendicular magnetization can be efficiently modulated by an electric field via the voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy effect. Moreover, the polarity of the voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy can be tuned through modification of the oxidation state at the ferromagnet/oxide interface. This allows us to create both n-type and p-type spin logic devices and demonstrate complementary logic operation.

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Fig. 1: Electric-field control of magnetic anisotropy and critical switching current.
Fig. 2: Logic operation of a single spin logic device.
Fig. 3: Logic operation of p-type spin logic devices.
Fig. 4: Demonstration of complementary functionality in spin logic devices.
Fig. 5: Simulation of the SLHA.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2015M3D1A1070465, 2017R1A2A2A05069760, 2017M2A2A6A01071238 and 2017R1A2B2006119) and the DGIST R&D Program of the Ministry of Science and ICT (18-BT-02).

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally:Seung-heon Chris Baek, Kyung-Woong Park.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering and KI for Nanocentury, KAIST, Daejeon, Korea

    Seung-heon Chris Baek, Kyung-Woong Park & Byong-Guk Park

  2. School of Electrical Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Korea

    Seung-heon Chris Baek

  3. Research and Development Division, SK Hynix Semiconductor, Inc., Gyeonggi-do, Korea

    Kyung-Woong Park & Deok-Sin Kil

  4. School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea

    Yunho Jang & Jongsun Park

  5. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea

    Kyung-Jin Lee

  6. KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, Korea

    Kyung-Jin Lee

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  1. Seung-heon Chris Baek
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Contributions

B.-G.P. planned and supervised the study. S.C.B., K.-W.P. and D.-S.K. fabricated the devices and performed the magnetization switching measurement and logic operation. Y.J. and J.P. performed the SPICE simulations. S.C.B., K.-J.L. and B.-G.P. analysed the results and wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Byong-Guk Park.

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Supplementary Notes 1–4 and Supplementary Tables 3 and 4

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Baek, Sh.C., Park, KW., Kil, DS. et al. Complementary logic operation based on electric-field controlled spin–orbit torques. Nat Electron 1, 398–403 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41928-018-0099-8

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