Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-f46jp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-15T01:07:45.619Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Reversible Electrical Resistance Switching in GeSbTe Thin Films: An Electrolytic Approach without Amorphous-Crystalline Phase-Change

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Ramanathaswamy Pandian ,
Bart J. Kooi ,
George Palasantzas  and
Jeff Th. M. De Hosson
Ramanathaswamy Pandian
Affiliation:
r.pandian@rug.nl, University of Groningen, Applied Physics, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, 9747 AG, Netherlands, 00 31 50 363 4822, 00 31 50 363 4881
Bart J. Kooi
Affiliation:
B.J.Kooi@rug.nl, University of Groningen, Department of Applied Physics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, 9747 AG, Netherlands
George Palasantzas
Affiliation:
g.palasantzas@rug.nl, University of Groningen, Department of Applied Physics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, 9747 AG, Netherlands
Jeff Th. M. De Hosson
Affiliation:
j.t.m.de.hosson@rug.nl, University of Groningen, Department of Applied Physics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, 9747 AG, Netherlands
Get access

Abstract

Besides the well-known resistance switching originating from the amorphous-crystalline phase-change in GeSbTe thin films, we demonstrate another switching mechanism named ‘polarity-dependent resistance (PDR) switching’. The electrical resistance of the film switches between a low- and high-state when the polarity of the applied electric field is reversed. This switching is not connected to the phase-change, as it only occurs in the crystalline phase of the film, but connected to the solid-state electrolytic behavior i.e. high ionic conductivity of (Sb-rich) GeSbTe under an electric field. I-V characteristics of nonoptimized capacitor-like prototype cells of various dimensions clearly exhibited the switching behavior when sweeping the voltage between +1 V and -1 V (starting point: 0 V). The switching was demonstrated also with voltage pulses of amplitudes down to 1 V and pulse widths down to 1 microsecond for several hundred of cycles with resistance contrasts up to 150 % between the resistance states. Conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) was used to examine PDR switching at nanoscales in tip-written crystalline marks, where the switching occurred for less than 1.5 V with more than three orders of resistance contrasts. Our experiments demonstrated a novel and technologically important switching mechanism, which consumes less power than the usual phase-change switching and provide opportunity to bring together the two resistance switching types (phase-change and PDR) in a single system to extend the applicability of GeSbTe materials.

Keywords

memoryscanning probe microscopy (SPM)nanoscale
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1071: Symposium F – Materials Science and Technology for Nonvolatile Memories , 2008 , 1071-F09-09
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Yin, Y. Sone, H. and Hosaka, S. Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 45, 4951 (2006).Google Scholar
2. Pandian, R. Kooi, B. J. Palasantzas, G. Hosson, J. T. M. De and Pauza, A. In preparation.Google Scholar
3. Gidon, S. Lemonnier, O. Rolland, B. Bichet, O. Dressler, C. and Samson, Y. Appl. Phys. Lett. 85, 6392 (2004); K., Tanaka J. Non-Cryst. Solids 353, 1899 (2007); C. D., Wright M. Armand and M. M., Aziz J. Hist. Astron. 5, 50 (2006).Google Scholar
4. Hirose, Y. and Hirose, H. J. Appl. Phys. 47, 2767 (1976); K., Terabe T. Hasegawa, T. Nakayama and M. Aono, Nature (London) 433, 47 (2005).Google Scholar
5. Sakamoto, T. NEC J. Adv. Tech. 2, 260 (2005).Google Scholar
6. Kozicki, M. N. Park, M. and Mitkova, M. IEEE Trans. Nanotechnol. 4, 331 (2005).Google Scholar
7. Kim, C.-J. and Yoon, S.-G, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 24, 721 (2006).Google Scholar
8. Yin, Y. Sone, H. and Hosaka, S. Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., Part 1 45, 4951 (2006).Google Scholar
9. Yamada, N. and Matsunaga, T. J. Appl. Phys. 88, 7020 (2000).Google Scholar
10. Yoon, S.-M., Choi, K.-J., Lee, N.-Y., Lee, S.-Y., Park, Y.-S. and Yu, B.-G., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., Part 2 46, L99 (2007); J. A., Kalb, C. Y., Wen F. Spaepen, H. Dieker and M. Wuttig, J. Appl. Phys. 98, 054902 (2005); T. H., Jeong, M. R., Kim and H. Seo, ibid. 86, 774 (1999).Google Scholar