Publications
Prof. Zonghoon Lee’s Atomic-Scale Electron Microscopy Lab
Prof. Zonghoon Lee’s Atomic-Scale Electron Microscopy Lab
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Publications in Nature | Science | their sister journals
Nature, 629, 348-354,2024 / Nature Communications, 14:4747, 2023 / Nature Communications, 13:4916, 2022 / Nature Communications, 13:2759, 2022 / Nature, 596, 519-524, 2021 / Nature, 582, 511-514, 2020 / Nature Nanotechnology, 15, 289-295, 2020 / Nature Nanotechnology, 15, 59-66, 2020 / Science Advances, 6 (10), eaay4958, 2020 / Nature Electronics, 3, 207-215, 2020 / Nature Communications, 11 (1437), 2020 / Nature Energy, 3, 773-782, 2018 / Nature Communications, 8:1549, 2017 / Nature Communications, 6:8294, 2015 / Nature Communications, 6:7817, 2015 / Nature Communications, 5:3383, 2014
Abstract
Superlattice (SL) phase change materials have shown promise to reduce the switching current and resistance drift of phase change memory (PCM). However, the effects of internal SL interfaces and intermixing on PCM performance remain unexplored, although these are essential to understand and ensure reliable memory operation. Here, using nanometer-thin layers of Ge2Sb2Te5 and Sb2Te3 in SL-PCM, we uncover that both switching current density (Jreset) and resistance drift coefficient (v) decrease as the SL period thickness is reduced (i.e., higher interface density); however, interface intermixing within the SL increases both. The signatures of distinct versus intermixed interfaces also show up in transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermal conductivity measurements of our SL films. Combining the lessons learned, we simultaneously achieve low Jreset ≈ 3–4 MA/cm2 and ultralow v ≈ 0.002 in mushroom-cell SL-PCM with ∼110 nm bottom contact diameter, thus advancing SL-PCM technology for high-density storage and neuromorphic applications.