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Ab Initio Study of the Sub-threshold Electron Transport Properties of Ultra-scaled Amorphous Phase Change Material Germanium Telluride

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2014

Jie Liu ,
Xu Xu  and
M. P. Anantram
Jie Liu
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
Xu Xu
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
M. P. Anantram
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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Abstract

The sub-threshold electron transport properties of amorphous (a-) germanium telluride (GeTe) phase change material (PCM) ultra-thin films are investigated by using ab initio molecular dynamics, density function theory, and Green’s function simulations. The simulation results reproduce the trends in measured electron transport properties, e.g. current-voltage curve, intra-bandgap donor-like and acceptor-like defect states, and p-type conductivity. The underlying physical mechanism of electron transport in ultra-scaled a-PCM is unraveled. We find that, though the current-voltage curve of the ultra-scaled a-PCM resembles that of the bulk a-PCM, their physical origins are different. Unlike the electron transport in bulk a-PCM, which is governed by the Poole-Frenkel effect, the electron transport in ultra-scaled a-PCM is largely dominated by tunneling transport via intra-bandgap donor-like and acceptor-like defect states.

Keywords

amorphousdefectselectronic material
Type
Articles
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1697: Symposium HH – Advanced Materials for Rechargeable Batteries , 2014 , mrss14-1697-hh06-16
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2014 

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