Phase change memories (PCM) are typically based on compounds of the Ge-Sb-Te (GST) ternary system. Nevertheless, a major drawback of PCM devices based on GST is the low crystallization temperature, which prevents the fulfillment of automotive-level or military-grade requirements (125°C continuous operation). To overcome this limitation, alloys belonging to the In-Sb-Te (IST) system have been proposed, which have demonstrated high crystallization temperature, and fast switching. Thermal properties of the chalcogenide alloy and of its interfaces within the PCM cell are key parameters versus the programming current, reliability and optimized scaling of PCM devices. The Modulated Photothermal Radiometry (MPTR) technique was implemented to measure the thermal conductivity of IST thin films as well as the thermal boundary resistance at the interface with other surrounding materials (a metal and a dielectric). The experiment was carried out in situ from room temperature up to 550°C in order to investigate the intrinsic thermal properties at different temperatures and the significant structural rearrangement upon the phase transition. Two different stoichiometries for the IST ternary alloy were deposited by Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) on a Si substrate covered with thermal SiO2 and then capped with a Platinum layer that acts as an optical and thermal transducer. Additional data from Raman and XRD lead to complementary analysis.

thermal properties of In-Sb-Te thin films for phase change memory application

Roberto Fallica;Claudia Wiemer;Alessio Lamperti;Massimo Longo
2014

Abstract

Phase change memories (PCM) are typically based on compounds of the Ge-Sb-Te (GST) ternary system. Nevertheless, a major drawback of PCM devices based on GST is the low crystallization temperature, which prevents the fulfillment of automotive-level or military-grade requirements (125°C continuous operation). To overcome this limitation, alloys belonging to the In-Sb-Te (IST) system have been proposed, which have demonstrated high crystallization temperature, and fast switching. Thermal properties of the chalcogenide alloy and of its interfaces within the PCM cell are key parameters versus the programming current, reliability and optimized scaling of PCM devices. The Modulated Photothermal Radiometry (MPTR) technique was implemented to measure the thermal conductivity of IST thin films as well as the thermal boundary resistance at the interface with other surrounding materials (a metal and a dielectric). The experiment was carried out in situ from room temperature up to 550°C in order to investigate the intrinsic thermal properties at different temperatures and the significant structural rearrangement upon the phase transition. Two different stoichiometries for the IST ternary alloy were deposited by Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) on a Si substrate covered with thermal SiO2 and then capped with a Platinum layer that acts as an optical and thermal transducer. Additional data from Raman and XRD lead to complementary analysis.
2014
Istituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi - IMM
In-Sb-Te Ternary
Phase Change Memory
Thermal Boundary Resistance
Thermal Conductivity
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14243/262711
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