(1) Overview and Research

The Taiwan SPIN Research Center was founded as a collaborative venture between three national universities: National Chung Cheng University (NCCU), National Changhua University of Education (NCUE), and National Yunlin University of Science and Technology (NYUST). The organisation's title, logo, research objectives and consulting committee are shared among these three institutions.

The Taiwan Spin Research Center was established in October 2003 with support from the Technology Development Program for Academia – a part of the Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT), Ministry of Economic Affairs.

The principal goals of the Center focus on basic and applied research on the spin phenomena of electrons and related physical properties. One of the recent major joined projects is to develop the key techniques on nano-scale Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM) through the support of DoIT. Applied research at the Centre also includes the development of integrated nanotechnology and the training of specialists on Spintronics. The Center aims to become a key player in research into Spintronics and Spintronic devices – both regionally and internationally – thus raising the profile of Taiwan in this important domain of core technology and basic research.

Based on our previous 4-year project, we extend to the second phase 4-year of Development of the Core Technologies for the High Density Magnetic Random Access Memory.  The objectives of this project are to develop the core technologies of magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) with nanometer scale cells.  

Three major parts will be targeted:

(1) fabrication of next generation magnetoresistance tunnel structure with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy,

(2) production and etching technologies of nanometer scale cells within 45 nm and approaching 32 nm, and

(3) development of MRAM read-write processes based on Current Induced Moment Switch (CIMS) mechanism.

The goals of this project is to:

(1) down sizing the MRAM cell to the size matching the next generation universal RAM,

(2) new technology for the switching critical current density less than 105 A/cm2, and

(3) transferring these technologies to Taiwan industrial and research units.  

The roadmap in terms of an MRAM structure is set that in 4 years a 45 nm (approaching 32 nm) magnetic tunnel junction structure with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy will be produced.  The ultimate switching current will be reduced from 2x106 A/cm2 to 1x105 A/cm2 to match the semiconductor integrated process also in 4-years.  The mission of the present project should firmly keep leading research on MRAM through close relationship with international collaboration and successfully shifting new technologies to domestic industry and help the fast growth of MRAM in the near future world market.

(2) Equipment

Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) 

Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS)

Magnetron rf Sputtering System

Resistivity Measurement System

Inductively Coupled Plasma-Reactive-Ion Etching (ICP-RIE)

(3) Personnel

Professor G. Chern and Professor C. C. Tsai
Ph.D. Candidate and Ph. D. Chih- Wei Cheng.

(4) Contact Us

Tel：886-5-2720411
Ext：16920, 16921
Fax：886-5-2723390
Email：spin@ccu.edu.tw