Research in spinelectronics recently has produced amazing results on new physical effects such as the field-free switching of the magnetization by spin currents, the discovery of new ferromagnetic materials with 100% spin polarization at the Fermi level, their integration in Magnetic Tunnel Junctions (MTJs) , new spin dependent thermoelectric effects , memristive behavior of tunnel junctions and even a new material class for topological insulators. In particular, new materials such as Heusler alloys have a substantial share of this progress in science. Many groups worldwide have an urgent need for high quality samples in order to further develop the materials and/or characterization techniques. There are, however, only a small number of teams scattered around the world capable of providing such bulk-, thin film- or device-samples.
CSMD joins three groups in Germany to create a a highly competitive and technologically complete plattform of technology and expertise in this field. External groups interested in driving spinelectronics forward can be supplied with consulting as well as with custom-designed samples of new materials such as Heusler alloys and devices such as magnetic tunnel junctions.
CSMD is organized by three groups with complementary infrastructure and expertise:Materials design, preparation of samples in bulk or thin films is provided by Prof. Claudia Felser's group at the Max-Planck- Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids in Dresden
Thin film systems and prototype devices for memory, logic and sensing down to 50nm feature size are covered by Prof. Günter Reiss's and Prof. Andreas Hütten's groups at Bielefeld University
Industry scale deposition of thin film systems on up to 12"-wafers is contributed to the Center by the group of Prof. Mathias Kläui at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz.
Materials and Thin Films
In particular, new ternary and quaternary materials from the Heusler family can be prepared and characterized. For the development of new materials rational design by computer simulations (DFT) is employed to screen for anticipated properties such as spin polarisation, magnetisation, anisotropy or magnetic damping. Bulk material can be prepared, characterised and supplied to interested groups to experimentally verify the theoretical material screening.
With state-of-the-art thin film deposition and analysis tools ranging from sputter- via pulsed-laser- to MBE-deposition advanced thin film systems are offered.
The technological plattform includes an industrially relevant system for preparation of thin film systems on large substrates.
Devices
For experiments on devices, the center provides the integration of newly developed thin film materials in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) which can be patterned down to a size below 100nm by e-beam lithography.
The center supplies layout proposals to interested researchers and subsequently customized samples for experiments on, e.g., dynamics or transport. Samples can be pre-characterized in CSMD by, e.g., structural and static transport measurements.
Applications
The Center is open for contributing to the development of industrially relevant prototypes for a variety of application fields:
* Non volatile Random Access Memories based on Spin Transfer Torque
* Related and field programmable magnetic logic gates
* Magnetic Sensors with high sensitivity to detect ultrasmall magnetic fields
* Sensor arrays for magnetic cameras to scan information in, e.g., security systems for product control
* Sensors for magnetoresistive Biochips capable to detect small concentrations of, e.g., antibodies, DNA sequences or proteins.
The Center supplies both support in the development as well as samples to research groups or companies interested in developing and/or using state-of-the-art spinelectronic bulk materials, thin film systems and (prototype) devices.
The collaboration can be organized in direct contracts or within funded projects.
Interested?
Send an e-mail to: Günter Reiss (reiss@physik.uni-bielefeld.de)
or
contact by phone or regular mail:
Prof. Dr. Günter Reiss
Bielefeld University, Physics Department
P.O. Box 100 131, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
Phone: +49 (0)521 106 5411, Fax: +49 (0)521 106 6046