Combined Ligand Exchange and Substitution Reactions in Atomic Layer Deposition of Conformal Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ Film for Phase Change Memory Application

Abstract

For phase change memories application, Ge–Sb–Te films were prepared by a stable and reliable atomic layer deposition (ALD) method. Ge(OC2H5)4, Sb(OC2H5)3, [(CH3)3Si]3Sb, and [(CH3)3Si]2Te were used to deposit various layers with compositions that can be described by combinations of GeTe2–Sb2Te layers including Ge2Sb2Te5 at a substrate temperature as low as 70 °C. A shift in composition of Sb–Te films from Sb2Te3 to Sb2Te composition was achieved by combining ligand exchange and substitution reaction between Sb in [(CH3)3Si]3Sb and Te in the Sb2Te3 layer. This surface-limited ALD process allowed highly conformal, smooth, and reproducible film growth over a contact hole structure, highlighting the feasibility of phase change memory applications.