Communications of the ACM
New Magnetic Semiconductor Material Holds Promise For 'spintronics'
Researchers at North Carolina State University have identified a new compound that could be used to make silicon chips into spintronic devices.
Credit: Technicsche Universitat Munchen~
A new compound that can be integrated into silicon chips potentially could be used to make spintronic devices, according to researchers at North Carolina State University (NCSU).
The team created and synthesized strontium tin oxide as an epitaxial thin film on a silicon chip. The material is a single crystal and a dilute magnetic semiconductor, which means it could be used to create transistors that operate at room temperature based on magnetic fields, rather than electrical current.
"We're talking about cool transistors for use in spintronics," says NCSU professor Jay Narayan.
He notes the discovery that the material has magnetic semiconductor properties was a pleasant surprise. "There are other materials that are dilute magnetic semiconductors, but researchers have struggled to integrate those materials on a silicon substrate, which is essential for their use in multifunctional, smart devices," Narayan says.
From NCSU News
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