journal article·2023-03-01Open access

GeTe ultrathin film based phase-change memory with extreme thermal stability, fast SET speed, and low RESET power energy

Yingjie Meng, Yimin Chen, Kexin Peng, Bin Chen, Chenjie Gu, Yixiao Gao, Guoxiang Wang, Xiang Shen

AIP Advances· Volume 13· Issue 3

Abstract

We designed the phase-change memory (PCM) cell based on ultrathin GeTe film (∼10 nm) and homemade nanoscale electrode filling craft to improve data retention ability and reduce programming energy, respectively. It was found that the temperature for ten years’ data retention of this ultrathin GeTe film is 160 ± 32.8 °C, which is much higher than that of conventional Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST, 83 ± 20.6 °C) film. Benefit to the nature of fragile-to-strong crossover behavior in GeTe supercooled liquids that was confined in a two-dimension structure, a fast SET speed of 6 ns is also detected in this ultrathin GeTe PCM. Moreover, the RESET power consumption of this ultrathin GeTe PCM is measured as 1.8 ± 0.5 nJ, and it is much lower than that of GST PCM (16.5 ± 1.5 nJ), which is attributed to the nanoscale electrode of the devices. The above-mentioned improvements enable the application of ultrathin GeTe PCM in neuromorphic computing.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Phase-change materials and chalcogenides · Advanced Memory and Neural Computing · Transition Metal Oxide Nanomaterials

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Laboratory of Infrared Material and Devices & Key Laboratory of Photoelectric Materials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Advanced Technology Research Institute, Ningbo University 1 , Ningbo 315211, China

Department of Microelectronic Science and Engineering, School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo University 2 , Ningbo 315211, China

Engineering Research Center for Advanced Infrared Photoelectric Materials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo University 3 , Ningbo 315211, China

College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University 4 , Shenzhen 518060, China

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China · Key R&D Program of Zheiiang Province · “Pioneer” and “Leading Goose” R&D Program of Zhejiang · Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China · Fundamental Research Funds for the Provincial Universities of Zhejiang · K. C. Wong Magna Fund in Ningbo University, China

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