Scaling Properties of Critical Phase Change Conditions in Ge2Sb2Te5 Nanopillars

TL;DR

This study investigates how electrical pulse parameters and device geometry influence phase change in Ge2Sb2Te5 nanopillars, combining experimental resistance mapping with finite element modeling to understand switching dynamics and scaling behavior.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive resistance mapping method and a finite element model to analyze the effects of pulse parameters and contact geometry on phase change in nanopillar devices.

Findings

Cooling scheme and contact geometry critically affect phase composition.

Finite element model accurately predicts observed scaling behavior.

Electrical pulse parameters influence the switching dynamics.

Abstract

We have measured the critical phase change conditions induced by electrical pulses in Ge2Sb2Te5 nanopillar phase change memory devices by constructing a comprehensive resistance map as a function of pulse parameters (width, amplitude and trailing edge). Our measurements reveal that the cooling scheme and the details of the contact geometry play the dominant role in determining the final phase composition of the device. A three-dimensional finite element model of the electro-thermal physics not only provides good insights into the underlying physical mechanisms of the switching dynamics but also quantitatively accounts for the observed scaling behaviour.