In situ transmission electron microscopy observation of nanostructural changes in phase-change memory

ACS Nano

Volumn 5, Issue 4, 2011, Pages 2742-2748

  Meister, Stefan ^a   Kim, Sangbum ^a   Cha, Judy J ^a   Wong, H S Philip ^a   Cui, Yi ^a  

^a Stanford University   (United States)

Author keywords

characterization tools; data storage; nanostructures; thin films

Indexed keywords

BLACK BOXES; DATA STORAGE; DESIGN AND OPERATIONS; FUNDAMENTAL PROPERTIES; IN-PHASE; IN-SITU TRANSMISSION; NANOCRYSTALLINES; NANOSTRUCTURAL; NEW MATERIAL; PHASE CHANGES; SWITCHING BEHAVIORS; SWITCHING SPEED; THRESHOLD SWITCHING;

DURABILITY; EQUIPMENT; GERMANIUM; IN SITU PROCESSING; NANOSTRUCTURES; PHASE CHANGE MEMORY; POLYMER BLENDS; SWITCHING; THIN FILMS; TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY;

FLASH MEMORY;

EID: 79955397575     PISSN: 19360851     EISSN: 1936086X     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1021/nn1031356     Document Type: Article

References (35)

1. Ovshinsky, S. R. Reversible Electrical Switching Phenomena in Disordered Structures Phys. Rev. Lett. 1968, 21, 1450-1453
2. Adler, D.; Henisch, H. K.; Mott, S. N. The Mechanism of Threshold Switching in Amorphous Alloys Rev. Mod. Phys. 1978, 50, 209-220
3. Pirovano, A.; Lacaita, A. L.; Benvenuti, A.; Pellizzer, F.; Bez, R. Electronic Switching in Phase-Change Memories IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 2004, 51, 452-459
4. Yu, D.; Brittman, S.; Lee, J. S.; Falk, A. L.; Park, H. Minimum Voltage for Threshold Switching in Nanoscale Phase-Change Memory Nano Lett. 2008, 8, 3429-3433
5. Ielmini, D. Threshold Switching Mechanism by High-Field Energy Gain in the Hopping Transport of Chalcogenide Glasses Phys. Rev. B 2008, 78, 035308
6. Hamann, H. F.; O'Boyle, M.; Martin, Y. C.; Rooks, M.; Wickramasinghe, K. Ultra-High-Density Phase-Change Storage and Memory Nat. Mater. 2006, 5, 383-387
7. Milliron, D. J.; Raoux, S.; Shelby, R.; Jordan-Sweet, J. Solution-Phase Deposition and Nanopatterning of Gesbse Phase-Change Materials Nat. Mater. 2007, 6, 352-356 (Pubitemid 46693192)
8. Lee, S. H.; Jung, Y.; Agarwal, R. Highly Scalable Non-Volatile and Ultra-Low Power Phase-Change Nanowire Memory Nat. Nanotechnol. 2007, 2, 626-630 (Pubitemid 47525186)
9. Chen, Y. C.; Rettner, C. T.; Raoux, S.; Burr, G. W.; Chen, S. H.; Shelby, R. M.; Salinga, M.; Risk, W. P.; Happ, T. D. et al. Ultra-Thin Phase-Change Bridge Memory Device Using Gesb Int. Electron Devices Meet. Tech. Dig. 2006, 777-780
10. Lankhorst, M. H. R.; Ketelaars, B. W. S. M. M.; Wolters, R. A. M. Low-Cost and Nanoscale Non-Volatile Memory Concept for Future Silicon Chips Nat. Mater. 2005, 4, 347-352 (Pubitemid 40450216)
11. Simpson, R. E.; Krbal, M.; Fons, P.; Kolobov, A. V.; Tominaga, J.; Uruga, T.; Tanida, H. Toward the Ultimate Limit of Phase Change in Ge2Sb2Te5 Nano Lett. 2009, 10, 414-419
12. 30 Based Nanopillar Type Phase Change Memory Nanotechnology 2010, 21, 025703
13. Lee, S.; Jeong, J.-h.; Wu, Z.; Park, Y.-W.; Kim, W. M.; Cheong, B.-k. Demonstration of a Reliable High Speed Phase-Change Memory Using Ge-Doped SbTe J. Electrochem. Soc. 2009, 156, H612-H615
14. Lencer, D.; Salinga, M.; Grabowski, B.; Hickel, T.; Neugebauer, J.; Wuttig, M. A Map for Phase-Change Materials Nat. Mater. 2008, 7, 972-977
15. Raoux, S.; Jordan-Sweet, J. L.; Kellock, A. J. Crystallization Properties of Ultrathin Phase Change Films J. Appl. Phys. 2008, 103, 114310
16. Hegedus, J.; Elliott, S. R. Microscopic Origin of the Fast Crystallization Ability of Ge-Sb-Te Phase-Change Memory Materials Nat. Mater. 2008, 7, 399-405 (Pubitemid 351596372)
17. Kolobov, A. V.; Fons, P.; Frenkel, A. I.; Ankudinov, A. L.; Tominaga, J.; Uruga, T. Understanding the Phase-Change Mechanism of Rewritable Optical Media Nat. Mater. 2004, 3, 703-708
18. Sun, Z. M.; Zhou, J.; Ahuja, R. Unique Melting Behavior in Phase-Change Materials for Rewritable Data Storage Phys. Rev. Lett. 2007, 98, 055505
19. Welnic, W.; Pamungkas, A.; Detemple, R.; Steimer, C.; Blugel, S.; Wuttig, M. Unravelling the Interplay of Local Structure and Physical Properties in Phase-Change Materials Nat. Mater. 2006, 5, 56-62 (Pubitemid 43049389)
20. 5 and GeTe Phys. Rev. B 2007, 76, 235201
21. Sun, Z.; Zhou, J.; Ahuja, R. Structure of Phase Change Materials for Data Storage Phys. Rev. Lett. 2006, 96, 055507
22. Pirovano, A.; Lacaita, A. L.; Pellizzer, F.; Kostylev, S. A.; Benvenuti, A.; Bez, R. Low-Field Amorphous State Resistance and Threshold Voltage Drift in Chalcogenide Materials IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 2004, 51, 714-719
23. Ielmini, D.; Lacaita, A. L.; Mantegazza, D. Recovery and Drift Dynamics of Resistance and Threshold Voltages in Phase-Change Memories IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 2007, 54, 308-315 (Pubitemid 46358417)
24. 5 Analyzed by Fluctuation Electron Microscopy Appl. Phys. Lett. 2007, 90, 021923
25. Lee, B.-S.; Burr, G. W.; Shelby, R. M.; Raoux, S.; Rettner, C. T.; Bogle, S. N.; Darmawikarta, K.; Bishop, S. G.; Abelson, J. R. Observation of the Role of Subcritical Nuclei in Crystallization of a Glassy Solid Science 2009, 326, 980-984
26. 5 Chalcogenides Ultramicroscopy 2008, 108, 1408-1419
27. 5 Chalcogenide Thin Films Appl. Surf. Sci. 2007, 254, 316-320 (Pubitemid 47539653)
28. Williamson, M. J.; Tromp, R. M.; Vereecken, P. M.; Hull, R.; Ross, F. M. Dynamic Microscopy of Nanoscale Cluster Growth at the Solid-Liquid Interface Nat. Mater. 2003, 2, 532-536
29. Kodambaka, S.; Tersoff, J.; Reuter, M. C.; Ross, F. M. Germanium Nanowire Growth below the Eutectic Temperature Science 2007, 316, 729-732 (Pubitemid 46717677)
30. Stach, E. A.; Pauzauskie, P. J.; Kuykendall, T.; Goldberger, J.; He, R.; Yang, P. Watching Gan Nanowires Grow Nano Lett. 2003, 3, 867-869 (Pubitemid 37140615)
31. Wen, C. Y.; Reuter, M. C.; Bruley, J.; Tersoff, J.; Kodambaka, S.; Stach, E. A.; Ross, F. M. Formation of Compositionally Abrupt Axial Heterojunctions in Silicon-Germanium Nanowires Science 2009, 326, 1247-1250
32. Zheng, H.; Smith, R. K.; Jun, Y.-w.; Kisielowski, C.; Dahmen, U.; Alivisatos, A. P. Observation of Single Colloidal Platinum Nanocrystal Growth Trajectories Science 2009, 324, 1309-1312
33. 3 Nanowires Nano Lett. 2008, 8, 1511-1516
34. Meister, S.; Schoen, D. T.; Topinka, M. A.; Minor, A. M.; Cui, Y. Void Formation Induced Electrical Switching in Phase-Change Nanowires Nano Lett. 2008, 8, 4562-4567
35. Krebs, D.; Raoux, S.; Rettner, C. T.; Burr, G. W.; Salinga, M.; Wuttig, M. Threshold Field of Phase Change Memory Materials Measured Using Phase Change Bridge Devices Appl. Phys. Lett. 2009, 95, 082101