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R&D: From Octahedral Structure Motif to Sub-Nanosecond Phase Transitions in Phase Change Materials for Storage

Proposing new view on mechanism, based on octahedral structure motifs and vacancies

SCIENCE CHINA Information Sciences has published an article written by Song Zhitang, Song Sannian, Zhu Min, Wu LiangCai, Ren Kun, Song Wen-Xiong, and Feng Songling, State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Micro-system and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China.

Abstract: Phase change random access memory (PCRAM) has been successfully applied in the computer storage architecture, as storage class memory, to bridge the performance gap between DRAM and Flash-based solid-state drive due to its good scalability, 3D-integration ability, fast operation speed and compatible with CMOS technology. Focusing on phase change materials and PCRAM for decades, we have successfully developed 128Mb embedded PCRAM chips, which can meet the requirements of most embedded systems. 3D Xpoint (3D PCRAM), invented by Intel and Micron, has been regarded as “a new breakthrough in the last 25 years since the application of NAND in 1989”, which represents the state-of-art memory technology. This technology has some remarkable features, such as the confined device structure with 20 nm size, the metal crossbar electrodes to reduce the resistance variations in PCRAM arrays, and the Ovonic threshold switching selector that can provide a high drive current and a low leakage current. A good understanding of phase change mechanism is of great help to design new phase change materials with fast operation speed, low power consumption and long-lifetime. In this paper, we firstly review the development of PCRAM and different understandings on phase change mechanisms in recent years, and then propose a new view on the mechanism, which is based on the octahedral structure motifs and vacancies.

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