Advantages of SixSb2Te phase-change material and its applications in phase-change random access memory

Si-doped Sb2Te phase-change material was investigated for the application of phase-change memory. During the electrical test, Si0.53Sb2Te needs a lower phase-change operating voltage than Ge2Sb2Te5. For the storage of data for 10 years, Si0.53Sb2Te needs an annealing temperature that is about 24 oC higher than for Ge2Sb2Te5. Crystallization changes from being growth dominated to being nucleation dominated. X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that the polycrystalline SixSb2Te series has a δ-phase with a rhombohedral crystalline structure, similar to the pure Sb2Te.