Eutectic Sb7.4Te92.6 thin film for non-volatile phase-change memories

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the structure and electrical properties of eutectic Sb7.4Te92.6 as made thin films to evaluate their potentiality for application to non-volatile phase-change memories. Design/methodology/approach The films were prepared by the pulsed laser deposition technique. The films were characterized by using X-ray diffraction in grazing-incident geometry, differential scanning calorimetry, Raman spectroscopy and transversal current–voltage curves. Findings The memory effect state, characteristic of a typical phase-change memory material, was observed. The temperature of crystallization was about 100ºC. Research limitations/implications Further studies on endurance, scaling and SET/RESET operations are needed. Practical implications One of the main characteristic values, the hold voltage and the threshold voltage values, were about 0.85 and 1.2 V, respectively, in a line with those of Ge2Sb2Te5, GeTe and Sb2Te being considered to date as the main compounds for phase-change memory devices. Originality/value The conduction mechanism in the amorphous regime is highly agreed with the Poole–Frenkel effect in deep traps.

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Current-voltage curves of eutectic In-Sb-Te thin films for phase change memory devices

Microelectronics International ◽

10.1108/mi-01-2019-0007 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 36 (4) ◽

pp. 165-170

Author(s):

Vitaliy Bilovol ◽

Claudio Barbon ◽

Bibiana Arcondo

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Phase Change ◽

Threshold Voltage ◽

Phase Change Memory ◽

Pulse Laser Deposition Technique ◽

Content Type ◽

Current Voltage ◽

Thermal Measurements ◽

Volatile Phase ◽

Change Memory

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate electrical properties of eutectic In8Sb8Te84 and In10Sb51Te39 as made thin films to evaluate their potential for non-volatile phase-change memories, once the thermal measurements are very optimistic. Design/methodology/approach The films were deposited by pulse laser deposition technique. By using a very simple home-made cell, transversal current-voltage curves films were measured involving both voltage controlled-pulses generator and current controlled-pulses generator, employing different pulse shapes: triangular and sine shaped. Findings The memory effect, characteristic of a typical phase-change memory material, was observed in both materials under research. For higher tellurium content in the film, lower is the value of threshold voltage. Research limitations/implications Further studies on endurance, scaling and SET/RESET operations are needed. Practical implications The values of the key parameters, threshold voltage and hold voltage are comparable with those of Ge2Sb2Te5, GeTe and Sb2Te being considered to date as the main compounds for PCM devices. Originality/value The conduction mechanism in the amorphous regime is agreed with Poole–Frenkel effect in deep traps.

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Role of the nano amorphous interface in the crystallization of Sb2Te3 towards non-volatile phase change memory: insights from first principles

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics ◽

10.1039/c3cp55476g ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 16 (22) ◽

pp. 10810 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Xue-Peng Wang ◽

Nian-Ke Chen ◽

Xian-Bin Li ◽

Yan Cheng ◽

X. Q. Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Phase Change ◽

First Principles ◽

Phase Change Memory ◽

Volatile Phase ◽

Change Memory

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Patterning of N:Ge2Sb2Te5 Films and the Characterization of Etch Induced Modification for Non-Volatile Phase Change Memory Applications

2008 International Symposium on VLSI Technology, Systems and Applications (VLSI-TSA) ◽

10.1109/vtsa.2008.4530837 ◽

2008 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

E. A. Joseph ◽

T. D. Happ ◽

S.-H. Chen ◽

S. Raoux ◽

C.-F. Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Phase Change ◽

Phase Change Memory ◽

Volatile Phase ◽

Memory Applications ◽

Change Memory

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Investigation of Phase Transition in Stacked Ge-Chalcogenide/SnTe Phase-change Memory Films

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-1056-hh11-70 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 1056 ◽

Author(s):

Feiming Bai ◽

Surendra Gupta ◽

Archana Devasia ◽

Santosh Kurinec ◽

Morgan Davis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Phase Transition ◽

Solid Solution ◽

Phase Change ◽

Phase Change Memory ◽

Thin Layers ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

X Ray ◽

Area Detector ◽

Memory Applications ◽

Change Memory

ABSTRACTPhase transitions in stacked GeTe/SnTe and Ge2Se3/SnTe thin layers for potential phase-change memory applications have been investigated by X-ray diffraction using a two-dimensional area detector system. The as-deposited underlying GeTe or Ge2Se3 layer is amorphous, whereas the top SnTe layer is crystalline. In the GeTe/SnTe stack, the crystallization of GeTe phase occurs near 170°C, and upon further heating, the GeTe phase disappears, followed by the formation of rocksalt-structured GexSn1−xTe solid solution. In the Ge2Se3/SnTe stack, the phase transition starts with the separation of a SnSe phase due to the migration of Sn ions into the Ge2Se3 layer. SnSe is believed to facilitate the crystallization of Ge2Se3-SnTe solid solution at ∼360°C, which is much lower than the crystallization temperature of Ge2Se3, therefore consuming less power during the phase transition.

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