High density and high speed magneto-electronic logic family

• US 6,140,838 A
• Filed: 05/07/1998
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology International (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Mark B. Johnson
• Inventors: Johnson, Mark B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tokar, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, ANH Q
• Application Number:
  US09/074,576
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 326/21, 326/37, 326/47, 326/106, 326/136, 327/427, 327/435, 327/437, 327/581
• US Class Current: 326/39
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/378 Integrated structures
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/16 using elements in which the storage effect is based on magnetic spin effect
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/18 using Hall-effect devices
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/5607 using magnetic storage elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66984 Devices using spin polarized carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/18 using galvano-magnetic devices, e.g. Hall-effect devices

Abstract

A number of novel new devices and circuits are disclosed utilizing configurable magneto-electronic elements such as magnetic spin transistors and hybrid hall effect devices. Such magneto-electronic elements can be used as building blocks of an entirely new family of electronic devices for performing functions not easily implementable with semiconductor based device. A number of examples are provided, including logic gates that can be programmed to perform different boolean logic operations at different periods of time. Logic devices and circuits incorporating such logic gates have a number of operational advantages and benefits over conventional semiconductor based technologies, including the fact that traditional signal logic operations can be implemented with substantially fewer active elements. A conventional boolean function unit, for example, can be constructed with 2 magneto-electronic elements, and 2 semiconductor elements, which is a 400% improvement over prior art pure semiconductor based technologies.

Claims

1. An electronic device for performing a logic operation based on a first input signal and a second input signal, said device comprising:

an input for receiving said first and second input signals; and

an electronically configurable element, which element has a logic state that can be adjusted in response to logic values of said first and second signals;

wherein said device can be controlled to perform at least a first and second logic operation on said signals, the first logic operation being different from the second logic operation; and

further wherein said logic operation can be controlled by setting the logic state of the device to an initialization state, such that said device performs a first boolean operation when the logic state is set to a first initialization state, and said device performs a second boolean operation when the logic state is set to a second initialization state.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said logic operation can be controlled by adjusting the signal characteristics of said input signals.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said device performs a first boolean operation when said first and second input signals have a first range of signal levels, and said device performs a second boolean operation when said first and second input signals have a second range of signal levels.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said logic operation can be controlled by a control signal input to said device.

5. An electronic device for performing a logic operation based on a first input signal and a second input signal, said device comprising,

an input for receiving said first and second input signals;

and

an electronically configurable element, which element has a logic state that can be adjusted in response to logic values of said first and second signals and a separate control signal;

wherein said device can be controlled to perform at least a first and second boolean logic operation on said signals, the first boolean logic operation being different from the second boolean logic operation; and

further wherein said control signal indicates whether a first or second boolean logic operation is to be performed by the device.

9. The device of claim 5, wherein the configurable element can change logic states in less than approximately 40 nanoseconds.

10. The device of claim 5, wherein the logic state of the configurable element is non-volatile.

11. The device of claim 5, wherein the configurable element is substantially electrically inactive until said input signals are presented to said device.

6. An electronic device for performing a logic operation based on a first input signal and a second input signal, said device comprising,

an input for receiving said first and second input signals;

and

an electronically configurable element, which element has a logic state that can be adjusted in response to logic values of said first and second signals;

wherein said device can be controlled to perform at least a first and second logic operation on said signals, the first logic operation being different from the second logic operation; and

further wherein the logic state of the configurable element corresponds to a magnetization state of such element.

7. An electronic device for performing a logic operation based on a first input signal and a second input signal, said device comprising,

an input for receiving said first and second input signals;

and

an electronically configurable element, which element has a logic state that can be adjusted in response to logic values of said first and second signals;

wherein said device can be controlled to perform at least a first and second logic operation on said signals, the first logic operation being different from the second logic operation; and

further wherein said configurable element is electrically isolated from the input.

8. An electronic device for performing a logic operation based on a first input signal and a second input signal, said device comprising,

an input for receiving said first and second input signals;

and

an electronically configurable element, which element has a logic state that can be adjusted in response to logic values of said first and second signals;

wherein said device can be controlled to perform at least a first and second logic operation on said signals, the first logic operation being different from the second logic operation; and

further wherein the configurable element has a surface area less than approximately 50μ

².

12. An electronic device for performing a logic operation based on a first input signal and a second input signal, the device comprising,

an input for receiving said first and second input signals;

and

an electronically configurable element, which element has a logic state that can be adjusted in response to logic values of said first and second signals;

wherein said device can be controlled to perform at least a first and second logic operation on said signals, the first logic operation being different from the second logic operation; and

further wherein the device uses a spin polarized electron current.

13. An electronic device for performing a logic operation based on a first input signal and a second input signal, said device comprising,

an input for receiving said first and second input signals;

and

an electronically configurable element which element has a logic state that can be adjusted in response to logic values of said first and second signals;

wherein said device can be controlled to perform at least a first and second logic operation on said signals, the first logic operation being different from the second logic operation; and

further wherein the device includes a ferromagnetic layer adapted to be used as said electronically configurable element, and a separate hall effect element.

14. An electronic device for performing a logic operation based on a first input signal and a second input signal, said device comprising,

an input for receiving said first and second input signals;

and

an electronically configurable element, which element has a logic state that can be adjusted in response to the logic levels of said first and second signals, and a separate control signal;

wherein said device can perform a first logic operation on said signals during a first time period, and a second, different logic operation on said signals during a second time period under control of said separate control signal.

17. The device of claim 14 wherein the logic state of the configurable element is non-volatile.

16. An electronic device for performing a logic operation based on a first input signal and a second input signal, said device comprising,

an input for receiving said first and second input signals;

and

an electronically configurable element, which element has a logic state that can be adjusted in response to the logic levels of said first and second signals;

wherein said device can perform a first logic operation on said signals during a first time period, and a second, different logic operation on said signals during a second time period; and

further wherein the logic state of the configurable element corresponds to a magnetization state of such element.

15. The device of claim 16 wherein said logic operation can be controlled by a control signal input to said device.

18. An electronic device which can perform a programmable boolean operation based on a first input signal and a second input signal, said device comprising,

an input for receiving said first and second input signals;

and

an electronically configurable element, which element has a logic state that can be adjusted in response to the logic levels of said first and second signals;

wherein said device can be programmed by a control signal to perform a first boolean operation on a first set of said input signals, and can be re-programmed by said control signal to perform a second, different boolean operation on a second set of said input signals.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the logic state of the configurable element is non-volatile.

19. An electronic device which can perform a programmable boolean operation based on a first input signal and a second input signal, said device comprising,

an input for receiving said first and second input signals;

and

an electronically configurable element, which element has a logic state that can be adjusted in response to the logic levels of said first and second signals;

wherein said device can be programmed to perform a first boolean operation on a first set of said input signals, and can be re-programmed to perform a second, different boolean operation on a second set of said input signals; and

further wherein the logic state of the configurable element corresponds to a magnetization state of such element.

21. A device that can perform a logic operation within a logic circuit based on a first input signal and a second input signal, said signals originating from either a first or second logic stage within said logic circuit, said device comprising,

an input for receiving said first and second input signals;

and

an electronically configurable element, which element has a logic state that is based on a magnetization state of said element, and which logic state can be adjusted in response to the logic levels of said first and second signals;

wherein said device can effectuate a first logic operation on said first and second output signals when they originate from said first logic stage, and said device can effectuate a second logic operation different from the first boolean operation on said first and second output signals when such signals originate from said second logic stage.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the first and second logic operations can be specified by a control signal input to said device.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the logic state of the configurable element is non-volatile.

24. A device that can perform at least two boolean operations within a logic circuit based on a first input signal and a second input signal, said signals originating from either a first or second logic stage within said logic circuit, said device comprising:

an input for receiving said first and second input signals; and

an electronically configurable element, which element has a logic state that is based on a magnetization state of said element, and which logic state can be adjusted in response to the logic levels of said first and second signals;

an output for generating a logic state signal indicative of the state of the configurable element;

wherein said first logic stage treats said device as a first boolean logic device, and said second logic stage simultaneously treats said device as a second boolean logic device.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the logic state of the configurable element is non-volatile.

26. A magneto-electronic processor for performing a programmable logic operation on a first input signal and a second input signal, said processor comprising,

an input for receiving said signals and a programmable control signal associated with said programmable logic operation;

and

a magneto-electronic element, which element processes said signals based on the logic values of said first and second signals and the programmable control signal; and

wherein said processor performs a first logic operation in response to a first value of the programmable control signal, and a second logic operation different from the first logic operation in response to a second value of the programmable control signal which is different from the first value of the programmable control signal.

27. The processor of claim 26, wherein the magneto-electronic element has a non-volatile magnetization state for storing the results of said logic operation.

28. The processor of claim 26, wherein the magneto-electronic element has a surface area less than approximately 50μ

².

29. The processor of claim 26, wherein the magneto-electronic element effectuates said logic operation in less than approximately 40 nanoseconds.

30. The processor of claim 26, wherein the processor includes a device using a spin polarized electron current.

31. The processor of claim 26, wherein the processor includes a ferromagnetic layer adapted to be used as said magneto-electronic element, and a separate hall effect element.

32. A method of performing logic operations using an electronically configurable logic gate, said method comprising the steps of:

configuring said gate to perform a first logic operation; and

applying a first input logic signal and a second input logic signal to said gate; and

modifying a logic state of said gate in response to values of said first and second logic signals to effectuate a first logic operation on the first and second signals; and

configuring said gate to perform a second logic operation; and

applying a third input logic signal and a fourth input logic signal to said gate;

modifying a logic state of said gate element in response to logic values of said third and fourth logic signals to effectuate a second logic operation on the third and fourth signals, the first logic operation being different from the second logic operation;

wherein the logic state of the logic gate corresponds to a magnetization state of a configurable magneto-electronic element associated with the logic gate.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the first and second logic operations can be controlled by adjusting signal characteristics of the first, second, third and fourth input signals.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein said logic operations can be controlled by setting the logic state of the gate to an initialization state.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the first and second logic operation can be controlled by a control signal input to the logic gate.

36. A method of performing logic operations using an electronically configurable logic gate, said method comprising the steps of:

configuring said gate to perform a first logic operation; and

applying a first input logic signal and a second input logic signal to said gate; and

modifying a logic state of said gate in response to values of said first and second logic signals to effectuate a first logic operation on the first and second signals; and

configuring said gate to perform a second logic operation; and

applying a third input logic signal and a fourth input logic signal to said gate;

modifying a logic state of said gate element in response to logic values of said third and fourth logic signals to effectuate a second logic operation on the third and fourth signals, the first logic operation being different from the second logic operation;

wherein the logic state of the logic gate corresponds to a magnetization state of a configurable magneto-electronic element associated with the logic gate; and

further wherein the logic state of the logic gate is non-volatile.

37. A method of performing logic operations using an electronically configurable logic gate, said method comprising the steps of:

configuring said gate to perform a first logic operation; and

applying a first input logic signal and a second input logic signal to said gate; and

modifying a logic state of said gate in response to values of said first and second logic signals to effectuate a first logic operation on the first and second signals; and

configuring said gate to perform a second logic operation; and

applying a third input logic signal and a fourth input logic signal to said gate;

modifying a logic state of said gate element in response to logic values of said third and fourth logic signals to effectuate a second logic operation on the third and fourth signals, the first logic operation being different from the second logic operation;

wherein the logic state of the logic gate corresponds to a magnetization state of a configurable magneto-electronic element associated with the logic gate, and said configurable element has a surface area less than approximately 50μ

².

38. A method of operating a logic gate, which gate includes a configurable magneto-electronic element for implementing a logic operation based on input signals ting from either a first or second logic circuit, said method comprising the steps of:

configuring said gate to implement a first logic operation in response to input signals from a first logic circuit; and

configuring said gate to implement a second logic operation in response to input signals from said second logic circuit;

wherein at any instance in time said gate can perform either of the first or second operations, and where the second logic operation is different from the first logic operation.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said gate is configured by a control signal input to said gate.

40. The method of claim 38 wherein the configurable element is non-volatile.

41. A method of operating a logic gate, which gate implements a logic operation based on input signals originating from either a first or second logic circuit, said method comprising the steps of:

configuring said gate to implement a first logic operation including a logical OR function in response to input signals from a first logic circuit; and

configuring said gate to implement a second logic operation including a logical AND function in response to input signals from said second logic circuit;

wherein at any instance in time said gate can perform either of the first or second operations, and where the second logic operation is different from the first logic operation.

42. A method of operating a logic gate, which gate implements a logic operation based on signals received at an input originating from either a first or second logic circuit, said method comprising the steps of:

configuring said gate to implement a first logic operation when the input receives signals from the first logic circuit; and

configuring said gate to implement a second logic operation when the input receives signals from the second logic circuit;

wherein at any instance in time said gate can perform either of the first or second operations, and where the second logic operation is different from the first logic operation, such that said gate effectively implements two different logical operations simultaneously.

43. A method of implementing a magneto-electronic processor, which processor performs a programmable logic operation on a first input signal and a second input signal, said method comprising the steps of:

providing an input for receiving said signals and a programmable control signal associated with said programmable logic operation; and

providing a magneto-electronic element;

processing said signals with the magneto-electronic element to effectuate a first logic operation in response to a first value of the programmable control signal; and

processing said signals with the magneto-electronic element to effectuate a second logic operation in response to a second value of the programmable control signal, which second logic operation is different from the first logic operation.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the magnetoelectronic element has a non-volatile magnetization state for storing the results of said programmable logic operation.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the processor includes a device using a spin polarized electron current.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the processor includes a ferromagnetic layer adapted to be used as said magneto-electronic element, and a separate hall effect element.

47. An electronic device for performing logic operations on a first and second input signal, said device comprising:

an input for receiving said first and second input signals; and

an electronically configurable element, which element has a logic state that can be adjusted in response to logic values of said first and second signals;

said device being adapted such that;

(i) when said first and second signals span a first amplitude range between a first logical high state and a first logical low state said device performs a first logic operation said first and second signals; and

(ii) when said first and second signals span a second amplitude range between a second logical high state and a second logical low state said device performs a second logic operation on said first and second signals, said second logic operation being different from said first logic operation.

48. The device of claim 47, wherein a logic operation performed by said device is a function of said first and second signals and a separate control signal.

49. The device of claim 47, wherein said electronically configurable element is a magneto-electronic element electrically isolated from the input.

50. The device of claim 47, wherein the logic state of the electronically configurable element is latched and non-volatile.

51. The device of claim 47, wherein said second amplitude range is approximately twice said first amplitude range.

52. A method of performing logic operations on a first and second input signal, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving said first and second input signals; and

(b) generating an output in response to logic values of said first and second signals using a configurable electronic element, said output being based on either a first or second logic operation performed on said first and second signals, such that;

(i) when said first and second signals span a first amplitude range between a first logical high state and a first logical low state, said output is based on a first logic operation performed on said first and second signals; and

(ii) when said first and second signals span a second amplitude range between a second logical high state and at second logical low state, said output is based on a second logic performed on said first and second signals, said second logic operation being different from said first logic operation.

53. The method of claim 52, further including a step (c):

receiving a control signal to determine whether said first logic operation or said second logic operation is to be performed.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein said electronically configurable element is a magneto-electronic element electrically isolated from the first and second input signals.

55. The method of claim 52, further including a step (c):

latching a logic state of said output.

56. The method of claim 52, wherein said second amplitude range is approximately twice said first amplitude range.

57. The method of claim 52, further including a step (c):

initializing said configurable element to specify a first boolean operation to be performed for said first logic operation, and a second boolean operation to be performed for said second logic operation.