Nanosecond switching in GeTe phase change memory cells

TLDR

GeTe and similar materials, with fast crystal growth, promise nonvolatile phase‑change memories that can switch at DRAM‑like speeds. Time‑resolved experiments characterize the electrical switching behavior of GeTe‑based phase‑change memory devices. SET pulses shorter than 16 ns crystallize GeTe, and for low‑resistance RESET states the minimum pulse can drop to 1 ns, due to the stronger influence of crystal growth as the switchable volume shrinks.

Abstract

The electrical switching behavior of GeTe-based phase change memory devices is characterized by time resolved experiments. SET pulses with a duration of less than 16 ns are shown to crystallize the material. Depending on the resistance of the RESET state, the minimum SET pulse duration can even be reduced down to 1 ns. This finding is attributed to the increasing impact of crystal growth upon decreasing switchable volume. Using GeTe or materials with similar crystal growth velocities, hence promises nonvolatile phase change memories with dynamic random access memorylike switching speeds.