Tunnel Diode and Transistor

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This invention discloses a new kind of magnetic tunnel diode and magnetic tunnel transistor that utilize a specific magnet-semiconductor structure. The core innovation is the use of a semimetallic magnetic layer, a tunnel barrier, and a semiconductor material with no spin excitation gap. This combination allows the devices to achieve both non-volatility (data retention with no power) and dynamic reconfigurability (changeable direction of current flow and functionality). Additionally, these devices exhibit an inverse tunnel magnetoresistance effect, enabling the resistance state to change based on the direction of applied voltage, which is useful for logic and storage applications.

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• Non-volatile memory devices such as MRAM (Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory) for persistent data storage.
• Reconfigurable logic circuits and computer processors that can change function on-demand, increasing flexibility and reducing hardware complexity.
• Spintronic devices and spin-based logic gates, taking advantage of magnetic and electronic properties for new computing paradigms.
• Magnetic field sensors with high sensitivity, benefiting from the tunnel magnetoresistance effect.
• High-frequency, energy-efficient integrated circuits operating in the THz regime.
• Embedded systems combining memory and logic on a single chip for faster, more efficient data processing.

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• Enables memory and logic elements to be non-volatile, retaining information even when powered off, reducing energy usage and enabling instant-on devices.
• Provides reconfigurability at the hardware level, meaning circuits can be reprogrammed dynamically without physical changes, enabling adaptive and multifunctional electronics.
• Allows for high-speed operation (up to the THz range) with lower power consumption compared to conventional devices.
• Reduces the number of hardware elements (such as transistors) needed for complex logic, lowering manufacturing costs and chip area.
• Combines storage and computation in a single element, which can simplify circuit designs and lead to new types of computing architectures.
• Improves reliability and lifetime of devices by reducing leakage currents and enabling more robust material choices.

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Patent Abstract

Disclosed is a magnetic tunnel diode (100) having a tunnel junction (160) that comprises a semimetallic magnetic layer (108), a tunnel barrier (110) and a layer (112) made of a semiconductor without any spin excitation gap. Also disclosed is a magnetic tunnel transistor (200) having a layer arrangement that comprises an emitter-semimetal magnetic layer (208), an emitter-base tunnel barrier (210), a semiconductor layer without any spin excitation gap (212), a base-collector tunnel barrier (214) and a collector-semimetal magnetic layer (216). This makes it possible to achieve non-volatility, reconfigurability of the forward direction, and the inverse tunnel magnetoresistance effect.