Picosecond electric-field-induced threshold switching in phase-change materials [THz-induced threshold switching and crystallization of phase-change materials]
Abstract
Many chalcogenide glasses undergo a breakdown in electronic resistance above a critical field strength. Known as threshold switching, this mechanism enables field-induced crystallization in emerging phase-change memory. Purely electronic as well as crystal nucleation assisted models have been employed to explain the electronic breakdown. Here, picosecond electric pulses are used to excite amorphous Ag4In3Sb67Te26. Field-dependent reversible changes in conductivity and pulse-driven crystallization are observed. The present results show that threshold switching can take place within the electric pulse on subpicosecond time scales—faster than crystals can nucleate. As a result, this supports purely electronic models of threshold switching and reveals potential applications as an ultrafast electronic switch.
- Authors:
-
- SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); European XFEL, Schenefeld (Germany)
- SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Stanford Univ., Stanford, CA (United States)
- SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Stanford Univ., Stanford, CA (United States)
- RWTH Aachen Univ., Aachen (Germany)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1341736
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1283426
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-06CH11357
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Physical Review Letters
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 117; Journal Issue: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 0031-9007
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
Citation Formats
Zalden, Peter, Shu, Michael J., Chen, Frank, Wu, Xiaoxi, Zhu, Yi, Wen, Haidan, Johnston, Scott, Shen, Zhi -Xun, Landreman, Patrick, Brongersma, Mark, Fong, Scott W., Wong, H. -S. Philip, Sher, Meng -Ju, Jost, Peter, Kaes, Matthias, Salinga, Martin, von Hoegen, Alexander, Wuttig, Matthias, and Lindenberg, Aaron M. Picosecond electric-field-induced threshold switching in phase-change materials [THz-induced threshold switching and crystallization of phase-change materials]. United States: N. p., 2016.
Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.067601.
Zalden, Peter, Shu, Michael J., Chen, Frank, Wu, Xiaoxi, Zhu, Yi, Wen, Haidan, Johnston, Scott, Shen, Zhi -Xun, Landreman, Patrick, Brongersma, Mark, Fong, Scott W., Wong, H. -S. Philip, Sher, Meng -Ju, Jost, Peter, Kaes, Matthias, Salinga, Martin, von Hoegen, Alexander, Wuttig, Matthias, & Lindenberg, Aaron M. Picosecond electric-field-induced threshold switching in phase-change materials [THz-induced threshold switching and crystallization of phase-change materials]. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.067601
Zalden, Peter, Shu, Michael J., Chen, Frank, Wu, Xiaoxi, Zhu, Yi, Wen, Haidan, Johnston, Scott, Shen, Zhi -Xun, Landreman, Patrick, Brongersma, Mark, Fong, Scott W., Wong, H. -S. Philip, Sher, Meng -Ju, Jost, Peter, Kaes, Matthias, Salinga, Martin, von Hoegen, Alexander, Wuttig, Matthias, and Lindenberg, Aaron M. Fri .
"Picosecond electric-field-induced threshold switching in phase-change materials [THz-induced threshold switching and crystallization of phase-change materials]". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.067601. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1341736.
@article{osti_1341736,
title = {Picosecond electric-field-induced threshold switching in phase-change materials [THz-induced threshold switching and crystallization of phase-change materials]},
author = {Zalden, Peter and Shu, Michael J. and Chen, Frank and Wu, Xiaoxi and Zhu, Yi and Wen, Haidan and Johnston, Scott and Shen, Zhi -Xun and Landreman, Patrick and Brongersma, Mark and Fong, Scott W. and Wong, H. -S. Philip and Sher, Meng -Ju and Jost, Peter and Kaes, Matthias and Salinga, Martin and von Hoegen, Alexander and Wuttig, Matthias and Lindenberg, Aaron M.},
abstractNote = {Many chalcogenide glasses undergo a breakdown in electronic resistance above a critical field strength. Known as threshold switching, this mechanism enables field-induced crystallization in emerging phase-change memory. Purely electronic as well as crystal nucleation assisted models have been employed to explain the electronic breakdown. Here, picosecond electric pulses are used to excite amorphous Ag4In3Sb67Te26. Field-dependent reversible changes in conductivity and pulse-driven crystallization are observed. The present results show that threshold switching can take place within the electric pulse on subpicosecond time scales—faster than crystals can nucleate. As a result, this supports purely electronic models of threshold switching and reveals potential applications as an ultrafast electronic switch.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.067601},
journal = {Physical Review Letters},
number = 6,
volume = 117,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Aug 05 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Fri Aug 05 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}
Web of Science
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