HYBRID SEMICONDUCTOR-MAGNETIC DEVICE AND METHOD OF OPERATION

A hybrid magnetic—semiconductor structure can be used as a memory element for the nonvolatile storage of digital information, as well as in other environments, including for example logic applications for performing digital combinational tasks, or a magnetic field sensor. The hybrid device uses ferromagnetic materials for implementing a variable spin resistance. The ferromagnetic layers are fabricated to permit the device to have two stable magnetization states, parallel and antiparallel. In the “on” state the device has two settable, stable resistance states determined by the relative orientation of the magnetizations of the ferromagnetic layers. An external magnetic field can change the magnetization state of the device by orienting the magnetization of the ferromagnetic layers to be parallel or antiparallel, thus changing the resistance of the device to a current of spin polarized electrons.