Threshold and Filament Current Densities in Chalcogenide-Based Switches and Phase-Change-Memory Devices

• Published in: IEEE electron device letters Vol. 30; no. 8; pp. 814 - 816
• Main Author: Kostylev, S.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01-08-2009; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chalcogenide alloy; Circuit properties; Conducting materials; Conductivity; Contact; Current density; Density; Design. Technologies. Operation analysis. Testing; Devices; Electric contacts; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronic circuits; electronic filament; Electronics; Estimation theory; Exact sciences and technology; Filaments; Integrated circuits; Integrated circuits by function (including memories and processors); Phase change materials; Phase change memory; phase-change memory (PCM); Programming; Scalability; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Switches; Switching, multiplexing, switched capacity circuits; Threshold current; Thresholds; Voltage; Negative differential conductivity; Threshold current; Switching theory; Bottom contact configuration; Dead space; Pulse code modulation; Switching; Electric field; Non volatile memory; phase-change memory (PCM); Integrated circuit; electronic filament; Selector switch; PCM material; Current density; Chalcogenide alloy
• ISSN: 0741-3106; 1558-0563
• DOI: 10.1109/LED.2009.2024965

Threshold current density of switching was found to grow several decades at constant threshold electric field with reducing interelectrode distance. Data are compared with predictions of various switching theories. Experimental estimate of current density in an electronic filament is reported based on a programming "dead-space" observation in a ring contact device with one subcritical bottom contact dimension. Significance of the shape of S-type negative differential conductivity curve and, namely, the slope of the second part with positive differential conductivity for the programming of phase-change memory is discussed.