Emerging ferromagnetic materials for electrical spin injection: towards semiconductor spintronics

Abstract Spintronics is a promising field beyond complementary metal-oxide semiconductors technology. It presents a unique approach to diminishing the energy consumption of memory and logic devices by utilizing spin. The proposed influential memory and logic device is the spin transistor. However, l...

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Main Authors: Yufang Xie, Su-Yun Zhang, Yin Yin, Naihang Zheng, Anwar Ali, Muhammad Younis, Shuangchen Ruan, Yu-Jia Zeng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-03-01
Series:npj Spintronics
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s44306-024-00070-z
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author Yufang Xie
Su-Yun Zhang
Yin Yin
Naihang Zheng
Anwar Ali
Muhammad Younis
Shuangchen Ruan
Yu-Jia Zeng
author_facet Yufang Xie
Su-Yun Zhang
Yin Yin
Naihang Zheng
Anwar Ali
Muhammad Younis
Shuangchen Ruan
Yu-Jia Zeng
author_sort Yufang Xie
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Spintronics is a promising field beyond complementary metal-oxide semiconductors technology. It presents a unique approach to diminishing the energy consumption of memory and logic devices by utilizing spin. The proposed influential memory and logic device is the spin transistor. However, limited spin injection efficiency from the metallic ferromagnetic electrode into the semiconductor layer has been a major obstacle for the advances of spin transistors. Three key properties are critical for magnetic materials in future spintronic devices to improve the spin injection efficiency, namely high spin polarization, robust room-temperature ferromagnetism, and comparable resistance with the semiconductor. Considering these factors, we will explore four major categories of ferromagnetic materials: Heusler alloys, dilute magnetic semiconductors, Si- or Ge-based intermetallic compounds, and two-dimensional ferromagnets. We present a comprehensive overview of the significant milestones for each type of material in terms of their property improvements, functionality achievements, and fundamental applications for spintronics. Finally, we will briefly address the challenges which need to be tackled for practical application in memory and logic devices.
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institution DOAJ
issn 2948-2119
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series npj Spintronics
spelling doaj-art-cdcfbd878f824f9e9393cadb7b9f98d62025-08-20T02:49:29ZengNature Portfolionpj Spintronics2948-21192025-03-013111610.1038/s44306-024-00070-zEmerging ferromagnetic materials for electrical spin injection: towards semiconductor spintronicsYufang Xie0Su-Yun Zhang1Yin Yin2Naihang Zheng3Anwar Ali4Muhammad Younis5Shuangchen Ruan6Yu-Jia Zeng7Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen UniversityKey Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen UniversitySchool of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu UniversityKey Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen UniversityKey Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen UniversityKey Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen UniversityKey Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen UniversityKey Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen UniversityAbstract Spintronics is a promising field beyond complementary metal-oxide semiconductors technology. It presents a unique approach to diminishing the energy consumption of memory and logic devices by utilizing spin. The proposed influential memory and logic device is the spin transistor. However, limited spin injection efficiency from the metallic ferromagnetic electrode into the semiconductor layer has been a major obstacle for the advances of spin transistors. Three key properties are critical for magnetic materials in future spintronic devices to improve the spin injection efficiency, namely high spin polarization, robust room-temperature ferromagnetism, and comparable resistance with the semiconductor. Considering these factors, we will explore four major categories of ferromagnetic materials: Heusler alloys, dilute magnetic semiconductors, Si- or Ge-based intermetallic compounds, and two-dimensional ferromagnets. We present a comprehensive overview of the significant milestones for each type of material in terms of their property improvements, functionality achievements, and fundamental applications for spintronics. Finally, we will briefly address the challenges which need to be tackled for practical application in memory and logic devices.https://doi.org/10.1038/s44306-024-00070-z
spellingShingle Yufang Xie
Su-Yun Zhang
Yin Yin
Naihang Zheng
Anwar Ali
Muhammad Younis
Shuangchen Ruan
Yu-Jia Zeng
Emerging ferromagnetic materials for electrical spin injection: towards semiconductor spintronics
npj Spintronics
title Emerging ferromagnetic materials for electrical spin injection: towards semiconductor spintronics
title_full Emerging ferromagnetic materials for electrical spin injection: towards semiconductor spintronics
title_fullStr Emerging ferromagnetic materials for electrical spin injection: towards semiconductor spintronics
title_full_unstemmed Emerging ferromagnetic materials for electrical spin injection: towards semiconductor spintronics
title_short Emerging ferromagnetic materials for electrical spin injection: towards semiconductor spintronics
title_sort emerging ferromagnetic materials for electrical spin injection towards semiconductor spintronics
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s44306-024-00070-z
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AT naihangzheng emergingferromagneticmaterialsforelectricalspininjectiontowardssemiconductorspintronics
AT anwarali emergingferromagneticmaterialsforelectricalspininjectiontowardssemiconductorspintronics
AT muhammadyounis emergingferromagneticmaterialsforelectricalspininjectiontowardssemiconductorspintronics
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