Transient phase change effect during the crystallization process in phase change memory devices

Abstract

The transient current waveform during a crystallization process in a phase change memory device was measured and analyzed. It revealed two important time parameters, which were termed as delay time and current recovery time. A link between this transient phase change effect and its crystallization kinetics was established. The delay time was found to be the minimum pulse duration before an onset of resistance change. The current recovery time was the time the device takes to complete its transition from high resistance to low resistance. Real-time crystallization characterization was applied to demonstrate the differences between nucleation and growth dominated materials used in the devices. © 2009 American Institute of Physics.