• Corpus ID: 226299647

Interface controlled thermal properties of ultra-thin chalcogenide-based phase change memory devices

@article{Aryana2020InterfaceCT,
  title={Interface controlled thermal properties of ultra-thin chalcogenide-based phase change memory devices},
  author={Kiumars Aryana and John T. Gaskins and Joyeeta Nag and Derek A Stewart and Zhaoqiang Bai and Saikat Mukhopadhyay and John C Read and David H. Olson and Eric R. Hoglund and James M. Howe and Ashutosh Giri and Michael Grobis and Patrick E. Hopkins},
  journal={arXiv: Applied Physics},
  year={2020}
}

• Kiumars Aryana, J. Gaskins, +10 authors P. Hopkins
• Published 11 November 2020
• Engineering
• arXiv: Applied Physics

Phase change memory (PCM) is a rapidly growing technology that not only offers advancements in storage-class memories but also enables in-memory data storage and processing towards overcoming the von Neumann bottleneck. In PCMs, the primary mechanism for data storage is thermal excitation. However, there is a limited body of research regarding the thermal properties of PCMs at length scales close to the memory cell dimension and, thus, the impact of interfaces on PCM operation is unknown. Our work presents a new paradigm to manage thermal transport in memory cells by manipulating the interfacial thermal resistance between the phase change unit and the electrodes without incorporating additional insulating layers. Experimental measurements show a substantial change in thermal boundary resistance as GST transitions from one crystallographic structure (cubic) to another (hexagonal) and as the thickness of tungsten contacts is reduced from five to two nanometers. Simulations reveal that interfacial resistance between the phase change unit and its adjacent layer can reduce the reset current for 20 and 120 nm diameter devices by up to ~40% and ~50%, respectively. The resultant phase-dependent and geometric effects on thermal boundary resistance dictate that the effective thermal conductivity of the phase change unit can be reduced by a factor of four, presenting a new opportunity to reduce operating currents in PCMs.