DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/8QV8-S889
Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4439-7551
Defense Date
2019
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Electrical & Computer Engineering
First Advisor
Supriyo Bandyopadyay
Second Advisor
Daniel B. Gopman
Third Advisor
Jayasimha Atulasimha
Fourth Advisor
Umit Ozgur
Fifth Advisor
Gary Atkinson
Sixth Advisor
Shiv Khanna
Abstract
Nanomagnetic devices are highly energy efficient and non-volatile. Because of these two attributes, they are potential replacements to many currently used information processing technologies, and they have already been implemented in many different applications. This dissertation covers a study of nanomagnetic devices and their applications in various technologies for information processing – from simulating and analyzing the mechanisms behind the operation of the devices, to experimental investigations encompassing magnetic film growth for device components to nanomagnetic device fabrication and measurement of their performance.
Theoretical sections of this dissertation include simulation-based modeling of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy magnetic tunnel junctions (p-MTJ) and low energy barrier nanomagnets (LBM) – both important devices for magnetic device-based information processing. First, we propose and analyze a precessionally switched p-MTJ based memory cell where data is written without any on-chip magnetic field that dissipates energy as low as 7.1 fJ. Next, probabilistic (p-) bits implemented with low energy barrier nanomagnets (LBMs) are also analyzed through simulations, and plots show that the probability curves are not affected much by reasonable variations in either thickness or lateral dimensions of the magnetic layers.
Experimental sections of this dissertation comprise device fabrication aspects from the basics of material deposition to the application-based demonstration of an extreme sub-wavelength electromagnetic antenna. Magnetic tunnel junctions for memory cells and low barrier nanomagnets for probabilistic computing, in particular, require ultrathin ferromagnetic layers of uniform thickness, and non-uniform growth or variations in layer thickness can cause failures or other problems. Considerable attention was focused on developing methodologies for uniform thin film growth.
Lastly, micro- and nano-fabrication methods are used to build an extreme sub-wavelength electromagnetic antenna implemented with an array of magnetostrictive nanomagnets elastically coupled to a piezoelectric substrate. The 50 pW signal measured from the approximately 250,000-nanomagnet antenna sample was 10 dB above the noise floor.
Rights
© Justine L. Drobitch
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
12-12-2019