Atomic-Scale Engineering of Abrupt Interface for Direct Spin Contact of Ferromagnetic Semiconductor with Silicon

Control and manipulation of the spin of conduction electrons in industrial semiconductors such as silicon are suggested as an operating principle for a new generation of spintronic devices. Coherent injection of spin-polarized carriers into Si is a key to this novel technology. It is contingent on o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Scientific reports Vol. 6; no. 1; p. 22841
Main Authors:	Averyanov, Dmitry V., Karateeva, Christina G., Karateev, Igor A., Tokmachev, Andrey M., Vasiliev, Alexander L., Zolotarev, Sergey I., Likhachev, Igor A., Storchak, Vyacheslav G.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	London Nature Publishing Group UK 09-03-2016 Nature Publishing Group
Subjects:	639/301/1005/1007 639/301/357/537 639/301/357/997 Conduction Electron microscopy Electrons Humanities and Social Sciences Injection Integration Interfaces multidisciplinary Science Silicon Transmission electron microscopy
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	Control and manipulation of the spin of conduction electrons in industrial semiconductors such as silicon are suggested as an operating principle for a new generation of spintronic devices. Coherent injection of spin-polarized carriers into Si is a key to this novel technology. It is contingent on our ability to engineer flawless interfaces of Si with a spin injector to prevent spin-flip scattering. The unique properties of the ferromagnetic semiconductor EuO make it a prospective spin injector into silicon. Recent advances in the epitaxial integration of EuO with Si bring the manufacturing of a direct spin contact within reach. Here we employ transmission electron microscopy to study the interface EuO/Si with atomic-scale resolution. We report techniques for interface control on a submonolayer scale through surface reconstruction. Thus we prevent formation of alien phases and imperfections detrimental to spin injection. This development opens a new avenue for semiconductor spintronics.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	2045-2322 2045-2322
DOI:	10.1038/srep22841