Sb-Se-based phase-change memory device with lower power and higher speed operations

• Published in: IEEE electron device letters Vol. 27; no. 6; pp. 445 - 447
• Main Authors: Sung-Min Yoon, Nam-Yeal Lee, Sang-Ouk Ryu, Kyu-Jeong Choi, Park, Y.-S., Seung-Yun Lee, Byoung-Gon Yu, Myung-Jin Kang, Se-Young Choi, Wuttig, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01-06-2006; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Crystalline materials; Crystallization; Data storage; Devices; Electric power generation; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electronic equipment and fabrication. Passive components, printed wiring boards, connectics; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Fabrication; Integrated circuits; Integrated circuits by function (including memories and processors); Magnetic and optical mass memories; Melting; Memory devices; Nonvolatile memory; Phase change memory; Phase change random access memory; phase transition; phase-change random access memory (PRAM); Plasma applications; Plasma chemistry; Power electronics, power supplies; Programming; Sb-Se alloy; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Storage and reproduction of information; Switching; Tellurium; Temperature; Volt-ampere characteristics; Electrical switching; Memory devices; Voltage current curve; Random access memory; Phase transitions; Nonvolatile memory; Direct current; Non volatile memory; phase-change random access memory (PRAM); Integrated circuit; Power device; PCM material; phase transition; Sb-Se alloy; Electrical characteristic
• ISSN: 0741-3106; 1558-0563
• DOI: 10.1109/LED.2006.874130

A phase-change material of Sb/sub 65/Se/sub 35/ was newly proposed for the nonvolatile memory applications. The fabricated phase-change memory device using Sb/sub 65/Se/sub 35/ showed a good electrical threshold switching characteristic in the dc current-voltage (I-V) measurement. The programming time for set operation of the memory device decreased from 1 μs to 250 ns when Sb/sub 65/Se/sub 35/ was introduced in place of the conventionally employed Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 (GST). The reset current of Sb/sub 65/Se/sub 35/ device also dramatically reduced from 15 mA to 1.6 mA, compared with that of GST device. These results are attributed to the low melting temperature and high crystallization speed of Sb/sub 65/Se/sub 35/ and will contribute to lower power and higher speed operations of a phase-change nonvolatile memory.