Host: Singulus Technologies AG
Location: Kahl, Germany
Supervisor: Jürgen Langer
Scientific project:
Electric field effects can be used to induce changes of the magnetic properties and resulting magnetoresistance effects. This can result in novel approaches where information is not encoded in discrete values and processed in Boolean logic gates but novel neuromorphic computing schemes can be employed.
In this project, we will develop and deposit high quality material stacks for experiments of electric field manipulation. In particular using high-k dielectrics and ionic conductors can be used to continuously tune the magnetic properties such as anisotropies, the strength of the exchange interactions leading to a control of the spin structures including the Curie temperature, etc.
High-k dielectric material deposition by sputtering is an established process in the semiconductor industry. We will apply this to the new material systems investigated among the partners and provide them with the layers of their needs using some of the world’s most advanced sputter tools. In addition, new materials only tested now for some small scale devices by the partners as e.g. Gd2O3, which is an ionic conductor will be tested for their scalability, i.e. deposition on large 200 mm or 300 mm wafers.
We will gauge the applicability of these continuous tenability of properties for devices, such as synaptic transistors and related device concepts. In particular we will study the scalability of these approaches and evaluate the use in industrial fabrication environments.
We will employ in particular advanced sputter deposition using state-of-the-art deposition tools such as the Singulus Rotaris system as well as structural and magnetic characterization techniques that combined provide a broad scientific and technological training.