Pulse voltage induced phase change characteristics of the ZnxSbyTez phase-change prototype device

Rui Li; Ling Xu; Henan Fang; Ronghua Lu; Tao Wu; Fei Yang; Zhongyuan Ma; Jun Xu

doi:10.1063/1.4966909

AIP Advances (Oct 2016)

Pulse voltage induced phase change characteristics of the ZnxSbyTez phase-change prototype device

Rui Li,
Ling Xu,
Henan Fang,
Ronghua Lu,
Tao Wu,
Fei Yang,
Zhongyuan Ma,
Jun Xu

Affiliations

Rui Li: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of China
Ling Xu: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of China
Henan Fang: College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, People’s Republic of China
Ronghua Lu: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of China
Tao Wu: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of China
Fei Yang: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of China
Zhongyuan Ma: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of China
Jun Xu: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4966909
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 6, no. 10
pp. 105211 – 105211-6

Abstract

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ZnxSbyTez thin films are deposited on quartz or glass substrates by the electron beam evaporation technique in an ultra-high vacuum. A prototype phase change memory device using the ZST (ZnxSbyTez) thin film is fabricated. The current–voltage test results of the device show the threshold voltage of ZST531 (Zn5.18Sb3.75Te1.10 at.%) is 2.4 V, which is similar to that of the device based on pure Ge2Sb2Te5. It is shown that the phase-change device with the ZST film is able to perform several reading and writing cycles and the off/on resistance ratio is nearly 10 under pulse voltage. The switching performance of the device is also investigated. Most importantly, the results of the in situ resistance measurements show that the increase of crystallization temperature and the higher 10-year data retention temperature are as high as 300 °C and 191 °C, respectively. This indicates that the ZnxSbyTez material is quite stable, and thus appropriate for use in phase-change memory.

Published in AIP Advances

ISSN: 2158-3226 (Online)
Publisher: AIP Publishing LLC
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Science: Physics
Website: http://aipadvances.aip.org/

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