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Phase-change materials

Towards a universal memory?

Materials that undergo a structural transformation between amorphous and crystalline phases under the influence of an electrical current have been known for decades. But with the discovery of new phase-change materials and new device configurations to make them switch, interest in them is being rejuvenated.

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Figure 1: The operation principle of a memory device based on phase changes.

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Wuttig, M. Towards a universal memory?. Nature Mater 4, 265–266 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat1359

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