'Von Neumann' Limit Broken... Next-Generation Semiconductor Developed with Both Storage and Computation Capabilities

Professor Byung-Kook Park's Team at KAIST

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Domestic researchers have developed a next-generation semiconductor material that is more than 10 times faster than existing semiconductors and can simultaneously perform storage and computation functions.

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced on the 21st that Professor Park Byung-guk's research team in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering developed a material technology that arbitrarily controls the switching polarization of spin-orbit torque magnetic memory (SOT-MRAM), a next-generation non-volatile memory, by applying an electric field.

Spin-orbit torque magnetic memory operates by controlling the magnetization direction using spin current generated from in-plane current, offering an advantage of being more than 10 times faster in operation speed compared to conventional spin-transfer torque magnetic memory (STT-MRAM).

In this study, the research team demonstrated that various logic operations are possible within a single device, increasing the potential for developing smart devices that simultaneously perform memory and computation functions. In particular, this technology is expected to be applicable to processing-in-memory (PIM) developed as next-generation intelligent semiconductors. PIM technology performs logic functions within the memory space, drastically reducing the amount of data processed by the processor, and is regarded as a technology that overcomes the limitations of the traditional von Neumann computing architecture.

Spin-orbit torque magnetic memory is being developed as a next-generation magnetic memory technology due to its high-speed operation and high stability characteristics. However, this memory requires the application of an external magnetic field for information recording, which acts as a critical disadvantage for highly integrated devices. Therefore, the development of zero-magnetic-field switching technology that controls magnetization direction without an external magnetic field is required.

The research team introduced a lateral gate structure to the magnetic memory to control the Rashba effect at the interface, developing a zero-magnetic-field spin-orbit torque switching material technology. They also succeeded in controlling the switching direction according to the polarity of the gate voltage and implemented various logic operations such as exclusive OR (XOR) and AND within a single device. This technology is expected to be utilized as a fundamental technology for MRAM-based processing-in-memory (PIM) devices that integrate memory semiconductors storing data and logic semiconductors performing computation functions.

First author Researcher Kang Min-gu explained, "This study experimentally demonstrated programmable logic operations within next-generation magnetic memory, which can be applied to the development of intelligent semiconductor devices considered future computing technologies."

The research results were published online on the 7th in the international academic journal Nature Communications.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.