RESUMEN
Bioinspired hardware holds the promise of low-energy, intelligent, and highly adaptable computing systems. Applications span from automatic classification for big data management, through unmanned vehicle control, to control for biomedical prosthesis. However, one of the major challenges of fabricating bioinspired hardware is building ultra-high-density networks out of complex processing units interlinked by tunable connections. Nanometer-scale devices exploiting spin electronics (or spintronics) can be a key technology in this context. In particular, magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) are well suited for this purpose because of their multiple tunable functionalities. One such functionality, non-volatile memory, can provide massive embedded memory in unconventional circuits, thus escaping the von-Neumann bottleneck arising when memory and processors are located separately. Other features of spintronic devices that could be beneficial for bioinspired computing include tunable fast nonlinear dynamics, controlled stochasticity, and the ability of single devices to change functions in different operating conditions. Large networks of interacting spintronic nanodevices can have their interactions tuned to induce complex dynamics such as synchronization, chaos, soliton diffusion, phase transitions, criticality, and convergence to multiple metastable states. A number of groups have recently proposed bioinspired architectures that include one or several types of spintronic nanodevices. In this paper, we show how spintronics can be used for bioinspired computing. We review the different approaches that have been proposed, the recent advances in this direction, and the challenges toward fully integrated spintronics complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) bioinspired hardware.
RESUMEN
In this investigation, the low-frequency alternate-current (AC) magnetic susceptibility (χac) and hysteresis loop of various MgO thickness in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) determined coercivity (Hc) and magnetization (Ms) and correlated that with χac maxima. The multilayer films were sputtered onto glass substrates and the thickness of intermediate barrier MgO layer was varied from 6 to 15 Å. An experiment was also performed to examine the variation of the highest χac and maximum phase angle (θmax) at the optimal resonance frequency (fres), at which the spin sensitivity is maximal. The results reveal that χac falls as the frequency increases due to the relationship between magnetization and thickness of the barrier layer. The maximum χac is at 10 Hz that is related to the maximal spin sensitivity and that this corresponds to a MgO layer of 11 Å. This result also suggests that the spin sensitivity is related to both highest χac and maximum phase angle. The corresponding maximum of χac is related to high exchange coupling. High coercivity and saturation magnetization contribute to high exchange-coupling χac strength.
RESUMEN
This investigation studies CoFeB/AlOx/Co magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) in the magnetic field of a low-frequency alternating current, for various thicknesses of the barrier layer AlOx. The low-frequency alternate-current magnetic susceptibility (χac) and phase angle (θ) of the CoFeB/AlOx/Co MTJ are determined using an cac analyzer. The driving frequency ranges from 10 to 25,000 Hz. These multilayered MTJs are deposited on a silicon substrate using a DC and RF magnetron sputtering system. Barrier layer thicknesses are 22, 26, and 30 Å. The X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) include a main peak at 2θ = 44.7° from hexagonal close-packed (HCP) Co with a highly (0002) textured structure, with AlOx and CoFeB as amorphous phases. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the Co(0002) peak, decreases as the AlOx thickness increases; revealing that the Co layer becomes more crystalline with increasing thickness. χac result demonstrates that the optimal resonance frequency (fres) that maximizes the χac value is 500 Hz. As the frequency increases to 1000 Hz, the susceptibility decreases rapidly. However, when the frequency increases over 1000 Hz, the susceptibility sharply declines, and almost closes to zero. The experimental results reveal that the mean optimal susceptibility is 1.87 at an AlOx barrier layer thickness of 30 Å because the Co(0002) texture induces magneto-anisotropy, which improves the indirect CoFeB and Co spin exchange-coupling strength and the χac value. The results concerning magnetism indicate that the magnetic characteristics are related to the crystallinity of Co.