Y-Doped Sb₂Te₃ Phase-Change Materials: Toward a Universal Memory

Abstract

The disadvantages of high power consumption and slow operating speed hinder the application of phase-change materials (PCMs) for a universal memory. In this work, based on a rigorous experimental scheme, we synthesized a series of Y_<i>x</i>Sb_2-<i>x</i>Te₃ (0 ≤ <i>x</i> ≤ 0.333) PCMs and demonstrated that Y_0.25Sb_1.75Te₃ (YST) is an excellent candidate material for the universal phase-change memory. This YST PCM, even being integrated into a conventional T-shaped device, exhibits an ultralow reset power consumption of 1.3 pJ and a competitive fast set speed of 6 ns. The ultralow power consumption is attributed to the Y-reduced thermal and electrical conductivity, while the maintained crystal structure of Sb₂Te₃ and the grain refinement provide the competitive fast crystallization speed. This work highlights a novel way to obtain new PCMs with lower power consumption and competitive fast speed toward a universal memory.