Thermal-gradient-driven elemental segregation in Ge2Sb2Te5 phase change memory cells

Yeoh, Phoebe; Ma, Yuanzhi; Cullen, David A.; Bain, James A.; Skowronski, Marek

doi:10.1063/1.5095470

Title: Thermal-gradient-driven elemental segregation in Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ phase change memory cells

Abstract

Thermal gradients have been predicted to play a large role in compositional segregation leading to failure in phase change memories. We have developed a methodology for isolating thermal-gradient driven segregation effects without interference from the electric field. In Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ functional layers, Sb and Te move along the temperature gradient, while Ge segregates in the opposite direction. The direction of segregation is consistent for devices that were repeatedly melted, as well as for devices that were never melted and remained in the polycrystalline state. Here, the results have implications for the reliability of phase change memories.

Authors:

^[1];

^[2];

^[1];

^[1]

Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Publication Date:: 2019-04-26

Research Org.:: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

OSTI Identifier:: 1531245

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Applied Physics Letters

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 114; Journal Issue: 16; Journal ID: ISSN 0003-6951

Publisher:: American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY

Citation Formats


                    Yeoh, Phoebe, Ma, Yuanzhi, Cullen, David A., Bain, James A., and Skowronski, Marek. Thermal-gradient-driven elemental segregation in Ge2Sb2Te5 phase change memory cells.  United States: N. p., 2019. 
Web.  doi:10.1063/1.5095470.

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                    Yeoh, Phoebe, Ma, Yuanzhi, Cullen, David A., Bain, James A., & Skowronski, Marek. Thermal-gradient-driven elemental segregation in Ge2Sb2Te5 phase change memory cells.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5095470

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                    Yeoh, Phoebe, Ma, Yuanzhi, Cullen, David A., Bain, James A., and Skowronski, Marek. Fri .  
"Thermal-gradient-driven elemental segregation in Ge2Sb2Te5 phase change memory cells".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5095470.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1531245.

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@article{osti_1531245,

  title        = {Thermal-gradient-driven elemental segregation in Ge2Sb2Te5 phase change memory cells},

  author       = {Yeoh, Phoebe and Ma, Yuanzhi and Cullen, David A. and Bain, James A. and Skowronski, Marek},

  abstractNote = {Thermal gradients have been predicted to play a large role in compositional segregation leading to failure in phase change memories. We have developed a methodology for isolating thermal-gradient driven segregation effects without interference from the electric field. In Ge2Sb2Te5 functional layers, Sb and Te move along the temperature gradient, while Ge segregates in the opposite direction. The direction of segregation is consistent for devices that were repeatedly melted, as well as for devices that were never melted and remained in the polycrystalline state. Here, the results have implications for the reliability of phase change memories.},

  doi          = {10.1063/1.5095470},

  journal      = {Applied Physics Letters},

  number       = 16,

  volume       = 114,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2019},

  month        = {4}

}

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Title: Thermal-gradient-driven elemental segregation in Ge2Sb2Te5 phase change memory cells

Abstract

Citation Formats

Nanoelectronic Programmable Synapses Based on Phase Change Materials for Brain-Inspired Computing journal, June 2011

Laser‐induced crystallization phenomena in GeTe‐based alloys. II. Composition dependence of nucleation and growth journal, October 1995

Crystallization times of Ge–Te phase change materials as a function of composition journal, August 2009

Rapid‐phase transitions of GeTe‐Sb 2 Te 3 pseudobinary amorphous thin films for an optical disk memory journal, March 1991

Evidence of Crystallization–Induced Segregation in the Phase Change Material Te-Rich GST journal, January 2011

Evolution of phase change memory characteristics with operating cycles: Electrical characterization and physical modeling journal, December 2007

Atomic migration in molten and crystalline Ge2Sb2Te5 under high electric field journal, July 2009

Voltage polarity effects in Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 -based phase change memory devices journal, September 2011

Electrical current-induced gradual failure of crystalline Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 for phase-change memory journal, August 2013

Phase separation behavior of Ge2Sb2Te5 line structure during electrical stress biasing journal, March 2008

Thermomechanical properties and mechanical stresses of Ge2Sb2Te5 films in phase-change random access memory journal, November 2008

TEM Study on Volume Changes and Void Formation in Ge[sub 2]Sb[sub 2]Te[sub 5] Films, with Repeated Phase Changes journal, January 2010

Driving forces for elemental demixing of GeSbTe in phase-change memory: Computational study to design a durable device journal, September 2013

Phase diagram of the ternary system Ge-Sb-Te journal, October 1986

Phase diagram of the ternary system GeSbTe. I. The subternary GeTeSb2Te3Te journal, July 1984

Thermal Diffusion in Crystalline Solids journal, December 1967

Modeling of Thermoelectric Effects in Phase Change Memory Cells journal, February 2014

Thermal Stability of Ge2Sb2Te5 in Contact with Ti and TiN journal, June 2009

Thermometry of a high temperature high speed micro heater journal, February 2016

Microthermal Stage for Electrothermal Characterization of Phase-Change Memory journal, July 2011

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Title: Thermal-gradient-driven elemental segregation in Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ phase change memory cells

Nanoelectronic Programmable Synapses Based on Phase Change Materials for Brain-Inspired Computing
journal, June 2011

Laser‐induced crystallization phenomena in GeTe‐based alloys. II. Composition dependence of nucleation and growth
journal, October 1995

Crystallization times of Ge–Te phase change materials as a function of composition
journal, August 2009

Rapid‐phase transitions of GeTe‐Sb ₂ Te ₃ pseudobinary amorphous thin films for an optical disk memory
journal, March 1991

Evidence of Crystallization–Induced Segregation in the Phase Change Material Te-Rich GST
journal, January 2011

Evolution of phase change memory characteristics with operating cycles: Electrical characterization and physical modeling
journal, December 2007

Atomic migration in molten and crystalline Ge2Sb2Te5 under high electric field
journal, July 2009

Voltage polarity effects in Ge ₂ Sb ₂ Te ₅ -based phase change memory devices
journal, September 2011

Electrical current-induced gradual failure of crystalline Ge ₂ Sb ₂ Te ₅ for phase-change memory
journal, August 2013

Phase separation behavior of Ge2Sb2Te5 line structure during electrical stress biasing
journal, March 2008

Thermomechanical properties and mechanical stresses of Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ films in phase-change random access memory
journal, November 2008

TEM Study on Volume Changes and Void Formation in Ge[sub 2]Sb[sub 2]Te[sub 5] Films, with Repeated Phase Changes
journal, January 2010

Driving forces for elemental demixing of GeSbTe in phase-change memory: Computational study to design a durable device
journal, September 2013

Phase diagram of the ternary system Ge-Sb-Te
journal, October 1986

Phase diagram of the ternary system GeSbTe. I. The subternary GeTeSb2Te3Te
journal, July 1984

Thermal Diffusion in Crystalline Solids
journal, December 1967

Modeling of Thermoelectric Effects in Phase Change Memory Cells
journal, February 2014

Thermal Stability of Ge2Sb2Te5 in Contact with Ti and TiN
journal, June 2009

Thermometry of a high temperature high speed micro heater
journal, February 2016

Microthermal Stage for Electrothermal Characterization of Phase-Change Memory
journal, July 2011

Ultrafast Characterization of Phase-Change Material Crystallization Properties in the Melt-Quenched Amorphous Phase
journal, May 2014

Oxygen incorporation into GST phase-change memory matrix
journal, March 2015