A novel architecture of non-volatile magnetic arithmetic logic unit using magnetic tunnel junctions

Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) technology is facing increasingly difficult obstacles such as power consumption and interconnection delay. Novel hybrid technologies and architectures are being investigated with the aim to circumvent some of these limits. In particular, hybrid CMOS/magnetic technology based on magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) is considered as a very promising approach thanks to the full compatibility of MTJs with CMOS technology. By tightly merging the conventional electronics with magnetism, both logic and memory functions can be implemented in the same device. As a result, non-volatility is directly brought into logic circuits, yielding significant improvement of device performances and new functionalities as well. We have conceived an innovative methodology to construct non-volatile magnetic arithmetic logic units (MALUs) combining spin-transfer torque MTJs with MOS transistors. The present 4-bit MALU utilizes 4 MTJ pairs to store its operation code (opcode). Its operations and performances have been confirmed and evaluated through electrical simulations.