Reliability perspectives for high density PRAM manufacturing

Abstract

This paper discussed the key reliability issues for manufacturing high density phase change memory (PRAM). There are its own unique phenomena, such as resistance fluctuation, structural relaxation and crystallization, which are closely correlated with the device reliability characteristics, including data retention, cycling endurance, and write disturbance. Optimizing material composition and controlling doping concentration and minimizing variability of physical dimensions can improve the reliability issues. Above all, isotropic dimension scaling along with writing current scaling is essential for continuing scaling down below 20 nm node.