The dissolution kinetics occurring on clay minerals are influenced by various factors, including pH, temperature and mineral lattice structure. However, the influence of the surfactant is rarely studied. In the present work, cationic surfactants were investigated in terms of the dissolution of clay minerals in acidic environments. Kaolinite was selected as the representative clay mineral. The cationic surfactant inhibited the dissolution of clay minerals because it limited the attack of H+ on the kaolinite surface and then inhibited the dissolution of kaolinite by modifying the hydrophilicity of the kaolinite surface towards hydrophobicity. The inhibition ability of the surfactant might be related to its molecular structure and the type of acid used in dissolution experiments.

We have demonstrated conformal deposition of amorphous GeSbTe films in high aspect ratio structures by MOCVD. SEM analysis showed the as-deposited GeSbTe films had smooth morphologies and were well controlled for void free amorphous conformal deposition. GeSbTe films adhere well to SiO2, TiN, and TiAlN. The morphology and adhesion are stable in 420°C post process. By annealing at 365°C, amorphous GeSbTe films converted into crystalline GeSbTe with polycrystalline grain sizes of 5nm. Film resistivity in the crystalline phase ranged from 0.001 to 0.1 Ω-cm, suitable for device applications. Phase change devices fabricated with confined via structures filled with MOCVD GeSbTe showed cycle endurances up to 1×1010 with a dynamic set/rest resistance of two orders of magnitude.