R&D: Nanoarchitectonics of Binary Semiconductor Sb–Y for Application of Phase-Change Memory Device

Applied Physics A has published an article written by Shengqing Xu, School of Mathematics and Physics, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, 213001, China, Weihua Wu, School of Mathematics and Physics, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, 213001, China, Shanghai Key Laboratory for R&D and Application of Metallic Functional Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 201804, China, and Key Laboratory of Microelectronic Devices and Integrated Technology, Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China, Xiaochen Zhou, Han Gu, Xiaoqin Zhu, School of Mathematics and Physics, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, 213001, China, Jiwei Zhai, Shanghai Key Laboratory for R&D and Application of Metallic Functional Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 201804, China, Sannian Song, and Zhitang Song, State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Micro-System and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, China.

Abstract: “This work systematically investigates the improvement in phase change properties and crystallization mechanism of Sb films after Y doping. Compared with the pure Sb thin films, Sb₅₁Y₄₉ has a higher crystallizing temperature (203℃) and longer failure time (766s), indicating that Y doping can enhance the thermal stability of the material in the amorphous state effectively. Y exists in an amorphous state and has an inhibitory effect on grain growth, resulting in smaller grain sizes in Y-doped Sb films. The crystallization mechanism was investigated using the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami model, and the crystallization mechanism of the Sb films before and after Y-doping is unchanged and always dominated by growth, a property that is favorable for achieving fast phase transitions. The phase change cells based on Sb₅₁Y₄₉ films exhibit a lower energy consumption (3.5 × 10^–11 J) than the conventional Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ material. The findings demonstrate the potential of Y-doped Sb as a phase change material with excellent crystallization rate and energy consumption performance.“