The Structure of Phase‐Change Chalcogenides and Their High‐Pressure Behavior

Abstract

Phase‐change materials (PCMs) used in data storage devices have unique structural features and transition properties by thermal heating. Pressure, as another important thermodynamic tool, can also induce a series of interesting phase transitions in PCMs, accompanied by the altering of bonding nature and physical properties. Here, the structure transition as well as property change of prototypical phase‐change material Ge–Sb–Te (GST) under hydrostatic pressure has been reviewed. The high‐pressure behavior of some other relevant chalcogenides such as GeTe, Sb 2 Te 3 , and GeSe, is also discussed. The revealing of structure and property changes due to high pressure sheds light on the underlying physics of many fascinating properties of PCMs, and therefore it will have profound implications on various applications of phase change materials in memory and other fields.