MoSbTe for high-speed and high-thermal-stability phase-change memory applications

Mo-doped Sb1.8Te materials and electrical devices were investigated for high-thermal-stability and high-speed phase-change memory applications. The crystallization temperature (t(c) = 185 degrees C) and 10-year data retention (t(10-year) = 112 degrees C) were greatly enhanced compared with those of Ge2Sb2Te5 (t(c) = 150 degrees C, t(10-year) = 85 degrees C) and pure Sb1.8Te (t(c) = 166 degrees C, t(10-year) = 74 degrees C). X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy results show that the Mo dopant suppresses crystallization, reducing the crystalline grain size. Mo-2.0(Sb1.8Te)(98.0)-based devices were fabricated to evaluate the reversible phase transition properties. SET/RESET with a large operation window can be realized using a 10 ns pulse, which is considerably better than that required for Ge2Sb2Te5 (similar to 50 ns). Furthermore, similar to 1 x 10(6) switching cycles were achieved. (C) 2018 The Japan Society of Applied Physics