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Solution-phase deposition and nanopatterning of GeSbSe phase-change materials

Nature Materials volume 6, pages 352–356 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Chalcogenide films with reversible amorphous–crystalline phase transitions have been commercialized as optically rewritable data-storage media1,2, and intensive effort is now focused on integrating them into electrically addressed non-volatile memory devices (phase-change random-access memory or PCRAM)3,4,5. Although optical data storage is accomplished by laser-induced heating of continuous films, electronic memory requires integration of discrete nanoscale phase-change material features with read/write electronics. Currently, phase-change films are most commonly deposited by sputter deposition, and patterned by conventional lithography3. Metal chalcogenide films for transistor applications have recently been deposited by a low-temperature, solution-phase route6,7,8,9. Here, we extend this methodology to prepare thin films and nanostructures of GeSbSe phase-change materials. We report the ready tuneability of phase-change properties in GeSbSe films through composition variation achieved by combining novel precursors in solution. Rapid, submicrosecond phase switching is observed by laser-pulse annealing. We also demonstrate that prepatterned holes can be filled to fabricate phase-change nanostructures from hundreds down to tens of nanometres in size, offering enhanced flexibility in fabricating PCRAM devices with reduced current requirements.

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Figure 1: X-ray diffraction of GeSbSe thin films during thermal annealing.
Figure 2: Laser-pulse annealing of GeSbSe thin films.
Figure 3: Filling patterns with phase-change material.
Figure 4: X-ray diffraction of GeSbSe nanodot array during thermal annealing.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge helpful discussions with D. Mitzi and thank J. Bunten for assistance with thin-film preparation, R. Ruiz, M. Caldwell and M. Hart for preparation of block-copolymer templates, M. Sanchez and C. Rettner for scanning electron microscopy and A. Kellock for RBS and PIXE analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IBM Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, California 95120, USA

    Delia J. Milliron, Simone Raoux & Robert M. Shelby

  2. IBM Watson Research Center, 1101 Kitchawan Road, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, USA

    Jean Jordan-Sweet

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  1. Delia J. Milliron
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  2. Simone Raoux
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Contributions

D.J.M. developed the GeSbSe materials and prepared all GeSbSe samples, D.J.M. and S.R. made electrical measurements, S.R. and J.J.S. collected and analysed XRD data, R.M.S. carried out and interpreted laser pulse annealing experiments.

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Correspondence to Delia J. Milliron.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Milliron, D., Raoux, S., Shelby, R. et al. Solution-phase deposition and nanopatterning of GeSbSe phase-change materials. Nature Mater 6, 352–356 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat1887

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