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In situ SEM Observation of Grain Formation and Growth Induced by Electrical Pulses in Lateral Ge2Sb2Te5 Phase-change Memory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

You Yin ,
Daisuke Niida ,
Kazuhiro Ohta ,
Akihira Miyachi ,
Masahiro Asai ,
Naoya Higano ,
Hayato Sone  and
Sumio Hosaka
You Yin
Affiliation:
yinyou@el.gunma-u.ac.jp, Gunma University, Department of Nano-Material Systems, 1-5-1 Tenjin, Kiryu, Gunma, Kiryu, 376-8515, Japan, +81-277-30-1723, +81-277-30-1707
Daisuke Niida
Affiliation:
ready_go_danieru@hotmail.com, Gunma University, Department of Nano-Material Systems, 1-5-1 Tenjin,, Kiryu, Gunma, 376-8515, Japan
Kazuhiro Ohta
Affiliation:
bar-ebhoth@docomo.ne.jp, Gunma University, Department of Electronic Engineering, 1-5-1 Tenjin, Kiryu, Gunma, 376-8515, Japan
Akihira Miyachi
Affiliation:
a_miyachi@yahoo.co.jp, Gunma University, Department of Nano-Material Systems, 1-5-1 Tenjin, Kiryu, Gunma, 376-8515, Japan
Masahiro Asai
Affiliation:
papet_master@hotmail.com, Gunma University, Department of Nano-Material Systems, 1-5-1 Tenjin, Kiryu, Gunma, 376-8515, Japan
Naoya Higano
Affiliation:
mukaino77@hotmail.co.jp, Gunma University, Department of Nano-Material Systems, 1-5-1 Tenjin, Kiryu, Gunma, 376-8515, Japan
Hayato Sone
Affiliation:
sone@el.gunma-u.ac.jp, Gunma University, Department of Nano-Material Systems, 1-5-1 Tenjin, Kiryu, Gunma, 376-8515, Japan
Sumio Hosaka
Affiliation:
hosaka@el.gunma-u.ac.jp, Gunma University, Department of Nano-Material Systems, 1-5-1 Tenjin, Kiryu, Gunma, 376-8515, Japan
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Abstract

A study of electric-pulse-induced crystallization of Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) was conducted by in situ scanning electron microscopy observation and resistance measurement. A lateral phase-change memory with a top GST channel connected by two separate underlying electrodes was adopted in this study to easily observe the crystallization process. At a low voltage pulse, randomly distributed nuclei were initiated. At the first growth stage, these nuclei grew fast with the pulse amplitude at a rate of around 60 nm/V and then growth rate slowed down to around 14 nm/V when the grain diameter was closed to film thickness. Device resistance during crystallization dropped by around one order of magnitude, which should be due to amorphous to face-centered-cubic transition.

Keywords

amorphousphase transformationmemory
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 997: Symposium I – Materials and Processes for Nonvolatile Memories II , 2007 , 0997-I12-05
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

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