R&D: High Thermal Stability and Fast Phase-change Memory Material Based on Sb-rich GaSbGe

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics has published an article written by Gangfeng Du, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Pingdingshan University, Pingdingshan, 467000, China, and Tongdong Sun, Modern Education Technology Center, Pingdingshan University, Pingdingshan, 467000, China.

Abstract: “The contradictory between crystallization speed and thermal stability for most phase-change materials is detrimental to achieve phase-change memory (PCM) with both features of high-speed and good retention. Sb-rich GaSbGe phase-change material is proposed to achieve fast switching speed (6 ns) while promising the high thermal stability (10-year data retention above 230°C). In the device’s test, the endurance ability is nearly 5.4 × 10⁴ cycles. Transmission electron microscopy analysis reveals that the grain size is smaller than that of Ge₂Sb₂Te₅, which is beneficial to lower the risk of the high temperature in PCM fabrication. A smooth surface attributed to the reduced stress by forming smaller grains during crystallization, guaranteeing the reliability of the device. These improvements have made the Sb-rich GaSbGe material a promising candidate for PCM application.“