HINTS - Next Generation Hybrid Interfaces for Spintronic Applications

HINTS aims at advancing spintronics by developing new hybrid organic-inorganic (HOI) materials featuring strong and tuneable spin-transfer efficiency at interfaces. One of the main characteristics of all organic-based ICT devices is the intrinsic hybrid combination of organic active materials with inorganic electrodes. Their greatest advantage is the possibility of low-cost processing and the enormous choice of molecules, most of which are still unexplored. Crucially, most of the properties of the hybrids are determined by their interfaces so that the ability to tailor the degree of interaction between organic and inorganic materials impacts the functioning of entire devices and of the electronic properties of the composite materials in general.

The ambitious approach of HINTS is implemented by designing new materials with improved spin transfer efficiency and transport. HINTS constantly benchmarks material parameters and properties with device demands. Thus, the development and the selection of HOI materials proceeds in close collaboration with and with constant feedback from the industrial and SME partners, and the entire consortium maintains awareness of the intermediate and final ICT needs (device aspects).

The project is developing hybrid materials which exhibit the following interface functionalities:

• controlled and well defined spin selectivity as a consequence of material combination;
• tunable interface energy barriers for controlled charge and spin injection (dipole tailoring);
• spin scattering and spin control by the insertion of monolayers of high-spin-molecules at the interfaces;
• control of the non-linear interplay of charge and spin transfer and its use for multifunctional effects.