Magnetoresistance of a spin MOSFET with ferromagnetic MnAs source and drain contacts

TL;DR

This study investigates spin-dependent electron transport in a spin MOSFET with ferromagnetic MnAs contacts, demonstrating spin injection and detection through magnetoresistance measurements, advancing spintronic device understanding.

Contribution

First demonstration of spin injection and detection in a spin MOSFET with epitaxial MnAs contacts on SOI substrate.

Findings

In-plane magnetoresistance exhibits spin-valve hysteresis.

Spin-polarized electrons are injected from MnAs source into silicon channel.

Detection of spin-polarized electrons via MnAs drain.

Abstract

Spin-dependent transport was investigated in a spin metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (spin MOSFET) with ferromagnetic MnAs source and drain (S/D) contacts. The spin MOSFET of bottom-gate type was fabricated by photolithography using an epitaxial MnAs film grown on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. In-plane magnetoresistance showed spin-valve-type hysteretic behavior, when the measurements were performed with constant source-drain and source-gate biases. By comparing with the magnetization-related resistance change resulting from the MnAs contacts, we conclude that the spin-polarized electrons are injected from the MnAs source into the Si MOS inversion channel, and detected by the MnAs drain.