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SET Characteristics of Phase Change Bridge Devices

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Daniel Krebs ,
Simone Raoux ,
Charles T. Rettner ,
Robert M. Shelby ,
Geoffrey W. Burr  and
Matthias Wuttig
Daniel Krebs
Affiliation:
krebs@physik.rwth-aachen.de, RWTH Aachen University, I. Institute of Physics, Jakobstraße 164, Aachen, 52064, Germany
Simone Raoux
Affiliation:
simone_raoux@almaden.ibm.com, IBM - Macronix PCRAM Joint Project: IBM Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, CA, 95120, United States
Charles T. Rettner
Affiliation:
rettner@almaden.ibm.com, IBM - Macronix PCRAM Joint Project: IBM Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, CA, 95120, United States
Robert M. Shelby
Affiliation:
shelby@almaden.ibm.com, IBM - Macronix PCRAM Joint Project: IBM Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, CA, 95120, United States
Geoffrey W. Burr
Affiliation:
burr@almaden.ibm.com, IBM - Macronix PCRAM Joint Project: IBM Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, CA, 95120, United States
Matthias Wuttig
Affiliation:
wuttig@physik.rwth-aachen.de, RWTH Aachen University, IBM - Macronix PCRAM Joint Project: I. Institute of Physics, Sommerfeldstraße 14, Aachen, 52074, Germany
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Abstract

Scaling studies have demonstrated that Phase Change Random Access Memory (PCRAM) is one of the most promising candidates for future non-volatile memory applications. The search for suitable phase change materials with optimized properties is therefore actively pursuit. In this paper, SET (crystallization) characteristics of an ultra fast switching material Ge15Sb85 in phase change memory bridge cell devices are presented. It was found that reproducible switching between two stable states with one decade resistance contrast and current pulses as short as 10 ns for SET and RESET (re-amorphization) operation is possible. Particular emphasis was placed on the difference in crystallization kinetics between the as-deposited and melt-quenched amorphous phase. Evidence is given for the existence of an electrical field as the critical parameter for threshold switching rather than a threshold voltage. For Ge15Sb85 a threshold switching field of 9MV/m was measured and it was shown that switching from the melt-quenched amorphous phase to the crystalline phase is about 600 times faster than crystallization from the as-deposited amorphous phase.

Keywords

deviceselectrical propertiesphase transformation
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1072: Symposium G – Phase-Change Materials for Reconfigurable Electronics and Memory Applications , 2008 , 1072-G06-07
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

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References

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