Ta-doped Ge5Sb95 phase change thin films for high speed and low power application

• Published in: Journal of non-crystalline solids 2021-11, Vol.571, p.121069, Article 121069
• Main Authors: Su, Xiao, Hua, Sicong, Xu, Zhehao, Song, Sannian, Song, Zhitang, Liu, Ruirui, Zhai, Jiwei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Grain refinement; Low power consumption; Phase change memory; Ta-doped
• ISSN: 0022-3093; 1873-4812
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2021.121069

•The property of Ta-doped Ge5Sb95 thin film is investigated systematically.•An ultrafast programing operation (~20 ns) is achieved for Ta0.16(Ge5Sb95)0.84.•The RESET power consumption is as low as picojoule level for Ta0.16(Ge5Sb95)0.84.•The thin film shows high thermal stability, high speed, and low power consumption. In the field of phase change memory (PCM), the contradiction between operation speed and thermal stability is one of the critical factors restricting its development, including realizing the framework of storage class memory. Ta-doped Ge5Sb95 has been proposed as a potential material, which displays better thermal stability and higher phase transition speed than classic Ge2Sb2Te5. Ta incorporation can improve the crystallization temperature and data retention ability, while increasing the electrical resistance, which reveals a significant enhancement in amorphous thermal stability and a reduction in programming power consumption, with almost no sacrifice in phase transition speed. For the PCM cells based on the optimized composition Ta0.16(Ge5Sb95)0.84, reversible phase transitions are successfully realized by using 20 ns electric pulse and RESET power consumption is as low as picojoule level with a resistance ratio up to 10000 times, showing high thermal stability, fast speed, and low power consumption application potential in PCM.