Scandium doping brings speed improvement in Sb2Te alloy for phase change random access memory application

Abstract Phase change random access memory (PCRAM) has gained much attention as a candidate for nonvolatile memory application. To develop PCRAM materials with better properties, especially to draw closer to dynamic random access memory (DRAM), the key challenge is to research new high-speed phase c...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xin Chen, Yonghui Zheng, Min Zhu, Kun Ren, Yong Wang, Tao Li, Guangyu Liu, Tianqi Guo, Lei Wu, Xianqiang Liu, Yan Cheng, Zhitang Song
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2018-05-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-25215-z
Description
Summary:Abstract Phase change random access memory (PCRAM) has gained much attention as a candidate for nonvolatile memory application. To develop PCRAM materials with better properties, especially to draw closer to dynamic random access memory (DRAM), the key challenge is to research new high-speed phase change materials. Here, Scandium (Sc) has been found it is helpful to get high-speed and good stability after doping in Sb2Te alloy. Sc0.1Sb2Te based PCRAM cell can achieve reversible switching by applying even 6 ns voltage pulse experimentally. And, Sc doping not only promotes amorphous stability but also improves the endurance ability comparing with pure Sb2Te alloy. Moreover, according to DFT calculations, strong Sc-Te bonds lead to the rigidity of Sc centered octahedrons, which may act as crystallization precursors in recrystallization process to boost the set speed.
ISSN:2045-2322