Crystallization Study Of "Melt Quenched" Amorphous Gete By Transmission Electron Microscopy For Phase Change Memory Applications

In situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations were performed for a better understanding of the "melt quenched" GeTe crystallization mechanism. The evolution of the crystallite morphology observed during annealing shows a growth-dominated crystallization behavior. Scanning transmission electron microscopy-electron dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and high resolution electron microscopy experiments were also performed on cycled GeTe devices, showing that void formation is responsible for the cell failure after 10(7) cycles. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3668095]