A simpler way to make microelectronic devices

Year 2003
Project team Caroline Ross

Low-cost architecture

Smart cards, smart sensors, merchandise tags – these are only a few of the many potential applications that could benefit from a simple, low-cost logic device. Logic operations form the basis for microprocessors and other electronic devices. Present-day microprocessors are made from semiconductor devices, such as transistors, which are fabricated on silicon chips in a lengthy and complex process. The resulting devices are very high-performance but expensive to produce. This project’s goal is to develop a disruptive technology to make logic devices from magnetic structures instead of silicon-based semiconductors. The advantage is a very simple and low-cost architecture. Simple processors based on magnetic logic devices would be well suited for applications requiring both a lower level of performance and very low cost.