R&D: Realization of Fast-speed and Low-Power Phase Change Memory by Optimizing Ge10Sb90 Film with Samarium Doping

Applied Physics Letters has published an article written by Han Gu, 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, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China, and Key Laboratory of Microelectronic Devices & Integrated Technology, Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China, Xiaochen Zhou, Pei Zhang, Bowen Fu, Xiaoqin Zhu, School of Mathematics and Physics, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou 213001, 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: “In this paper, the Sm-doped Ge₁₀Sb₉₀ films were proposed and the effect of Sm doping on the crystal structure and electrical properties were investigated. The crystallization process of materials with different Sm concentrations was carried out by an in situ resistance measurement system, demonstrating that doping Sm can significantly improve the amorphous resistance, thermal stability, and bandgap of Ge₁₀Sb₉₀ film and alleviate the structural relaxation. X-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy show that the appropriate content of Sm doping can hinder the grain growth process, limiting the grain size to a certain extent. The phase change memory devices with Sm-doped Ge₁₀Sb₉₀ were prepared based on the CMOS process, and their electrical properties were evaluated. The outcomes indicate that Sm doping can remarkably ameliorate the high RESET current required for Sb-rich Ge₁₀Sb₉₀ films during erasing/writing operation.“