Eutectic Sb_7.4Te_92.6 thin film for non-volatile phase-change memories

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the structure and electrical properties of eutectic Sb_7.4Te_92.6 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.

Citation

Barbon, C., Bilovol, V., Di Liscia, E.J. and Arcondo, B. (2019), "Eutectic Sb_7.4Te_92.6 thin film for non-volatile phase-change memories", Microelectronics International, Vol. 36 No. 4, pp. 171-175. https://doi.org/10.1108/MI-03-2019-0016