Effect of nitrogen doping on the thermal conductivity of GeTe thin films

Abstract

Abstract The 3 ω method was employed to determine the effect of nitrogen doping (5 at.%) on the thermal conductivity of sputtered thin films of stoichiometric GeTe (a material of interest for phase change memories). It was found that nitrogen doping has a detrimental effect on the thermal conductivity of GeTe in both phases, but less markedly in the amorphous (–25%) than in the crystalline one (–40%). On the opposite, no effect could be detected on the measured thermal boundary resistance between these films and SiO 2 , within the experimental error. Our results agree with those obtained by molecular dynamic simulation of amorphous GeTe. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)