# The Influence of Reactive Ion Etching Chemistry on the Initial Resistance and Cycling Stability of Line-Type (Bridge) Phase-Change Memory Devices

## TL;DR

This paper investigates how different reactive ion etching chemistries affect the performance and stability of phase-change memory devices.

## Contribution

The study introduces a two-step etching method using H2:Ar and Ar that improves device reliability and cycling stability.

## Key findings

- Using H2:Ar and Ar in a two-step etching process improves initial resistance and cycling stability of PCM devices.
- Chemically reactive gases like CHF3:O2 negatively affect device performance and lifetime due to material composition changes.
- An advanced measurement algorithm with aixMATRIX setup enables automated and high-throughput PCM characterization.

## Abstract

Phase-change memory (PCM) is a promising candidate for in-memory computation and neuromorphic computing due to its high endurance, low cycle-to-cycle variability, and low read noise. However, among other factors, its performance strongly depends on the post-lithography fabrication steps. This study examines the impact of reactive ion etching (RIE) on PCM device performance by evaluating different etching gas mixtures, CHF3:O2, H2:Ar, and Ar, and determining their impact on key device characteristics, particularly initial resistance and cycling stability. The present study demonstrates that a two-step etching approach in which the capping layer is first removed using H2:Ar and the underlying GST layer is subsequently etched using physical Ar sputtering ensures stable and reliable PCM operation. In contrast, chemically reactive gases negatively impact the initial resistance, cycling stability, and device lifetime, likely due to alterations in the material composition. For the cycling stability evaluation, an advanced measurement algorithm utilizing the aixMATRIX setup by aixACCT Systems is employed. This algorithm enables automated testing, dynamically adjusting biasing parameters based on cell responses, ensuring a stable ON/OFF ratio and high-throughput characterization.