Effects of germanium and nitrogen incorporation on crystallization of N-doped Ge{sub 2+x}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5} (x = 0,1) thin films for phase-change memory

Journal Article · Sun Jan 27 23:00:00 EST 2013 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4789388· OSTI ID:22102248

Limin, Cheng ^[1]; Liangcai, Wu; Zhitang, Song; Feng, Rao; Cheng, Peng; Dongning, Yao; Bo, Liu ^[1]; Ling, Xu ^[2]

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1. State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Micro-system and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050 (China)
2. National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China)

The phase-change behavior and microstructure changes of N-doped Ge{sub 3}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5}[N-GST(3/2/5)] and Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5}[GST(2/2/5)] films during the phase transition from an amorphous to a crystalline phase were studied using in situ temperature-dependent sheet resistance measurements, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The optical band gaps of N-GST(3/2/5) films are higher than that of GST(2/2/5) film in both the amorphous and face-centered-cubic (fcc) phases. Ge nitride formation by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis increased the optical band gap and suppressed crystalline grain growth, resulting in an increase in the crystallization temperature and resistance in the fcc phase. As a result, the Ge- and N-doped GST(2/2/5) composite films can be considered as a promising material for phase-change memory application because of improved thermal stability and reduced power consumption.

• OSTI ID: 22102248
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 113; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ANTIMONY COMPOUNDS
CRYSTALLIZATION
DOPED MATERIALS
ENERGY GAP
FCC LATTICES
GERMANIUM COMPOUNDS
GLASS
GRAIN GROWTH
MEMORY DEVICES
NITROGEN ADDITIONS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
STABILITY
TELLURIUM COMPOUNDS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
THIN FILMS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY