Distribution of nanoscale nuclei in the amorphous dome of a phase change random access memory

作者：Lee Bong Sub^*; Darmawikarta Kristof; Raoux Simone; Shih Yen Hao; Zhu Yu; Bishop Stephen G; Abelson John R

来源：Applied Physics Letters, 2014, 104(7): 071907.

DOI：10.1063/1.4865586

The nanoscale crystal nuclei in an amorphous Ge2Sb2Te5 bit in a phase change memory device were evaluated by fluctuation transmission electron microscopy. The quench time in the device (similar to 10 ns) afforded more and larger nuclei in the melt-quenched state than in the as-deposited state. However, nuclei were even more numerous and larger in a test structure with a longer quench time (similar to 100 ns), verifying the prediction of nucleation theory that slower cooling produces more nuclei. It also demonstrates that the thermal design of devices will strongly influence the population of nuclei, and thus the speed and data retention characteristics.

• 出版日期2014-2-17
• 单位IBM