Building blocks of amorphous Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5}
- Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PH (United Kingdom)
- Analytical Engineering Center, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, Yongin 446-712 (Korea, Republic of)
- EURATOM/UKAEA Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom)
The structural changes during the phase change between the amorphous and crystalline phase in Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5} have been the subject of intense study due to the importance of Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5} in phase change memory devices. In our study, the energetics of the transition between the crystalline and the amorphous phase of Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5} is explored using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, electron diffraction, and reverse Monte Carlo model refinement. No energy barrier was found between the crystalline and the previously suggested amorphous structure of Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5}. Further DFT calculations have led to a different building block of the amorphous structure, which is shown to agree with the experimental reduced density function determined from electron diffraction experiments and previously reported extended x-ray absorption fine structure measurements.
- OSTI ID:
- 21055093
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Journal Name: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 76; ISSN 1098-0121
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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