Novel Nanocomposite-superlattices for Low Energy and High Stability Nanoscale Phase-change Memory

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2024 Jan 22

PMID 38253559

Authors

Xiangjin Wu

Asir Intisar Khan

Hengyuan Lee

Chen-Feng Hsu

Huairuo Zhang

Heshan Yu

Neel Roy

Albert V Davydov

Ichiro Takeuchi

Xinyu Bao

H-S Philip Wong

Eric Pop

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Data-centric applications are pushing the limits of energy-efficiency in today's computing systems, including those based on phase-change memory (PCM). This technology must achieve low-power and stable operation at nanoscale dimensions to succeed in high-density memory arrays. Here we use a novel combination of phase-change material superlattices and nanocomposites (based on GeSbTe), to achieve record-low power density ≈ 5 MW/cm and ≈ 0.7 V switching voltage (compatible with modern logic processors) in PCM devices with the smallest dimensions to date (≈ 40 nm) for a superlattice technology on a CMOS-compatible substrate. These devices also simultaneously exhibit low resistance drift with 8 resistance states, good endurance (≈ 2 × 10 cycles), and fast switching (≈ 40 ns). The efficient switching is enabled by strong heat confinement within the superlattice materials and the nanoscale device dimensions. The microstructural properties of the GeSbTe nanocomposite and its high crystallization temperature ensure the fast-switching speed and stability in our superlattice PCM devices. These results re-establish PCM technology as one of the frontrunners for energy-efficient data storage and computing.

Citing Articles

Identification of nine mammal monosaccharides by solid-state nanopores.

Sun Y, Mi Z, Chen X, Li J, Lu J, Shan X Sci Rep. 2024; 14(1):32000.

PMID: 39738399 PMC: 11686368. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-83690-z.

Reconfigurable memlogic long wave infrared sensing with superconductors.

Chen B, Xue H, Pan H, Zhu L, Yan X, Wang J Light Sci Appl. 2024; 13(1):97.

PMID: 38670946 PMC: 11053096. DOI: 10.1038/s41377-024-01424-2.

References

Khan A, Wu X, Perez C, Won B, Kim K, Ramesh P . Unveiling the Effect of Superlattice Interfaces and Intermixing on Phase Change Memory Performance. Nano Lett. 2022; 22(15):6285-6291. DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c01869. View

Wang X, Song S, Wang H, Guo T, Xue Y, Wang R . Minimizing the Programming Power of Phase Change Memory by Using Graphene Nanoribbon Edge-Contact. Adv Sci (Weinh). 2022; 9(25):e2202222. PMC: 9443440. DOI: 10.1002/advs.202202222. View

Wuttig M, Yamada N . Phase-change materials for rewriteable data storage. Nat Mater. 2007; 6(11):824-32. DOI: 10.1038/nmat2009. View

Simpson R, Fons P, Kolobov A, Fukaya T, Krbal M, Yagi T . Interfacial phase-change memory. Nat Nanotechnol. 2011; 6(8):501-5. DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2011.96. View

Wan W, Kubendran R, Schaefer C, Eryilmaz S, Zhang W, Wu D . A compute-in-memory chip based on resistive random-access memory. Nature. 2022; 608(7923):504-512. PMC: 9385482. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04992-8. View

Khan A, Yu H, Zhang H, Goggin J, Kwon H, Wu X . Energy Efficient Neuro-Inspired Phase-Change Memory Based on Ge Sb Te as a Novel Epitaxial Nanocomposite. Adv Mater. 2023; 35(30):e2300107. DOI: 10.1002/adma.202300107. View

Ding K, Rao F, Lv S, Cheng Y, Wu L, Song Z . Low-Energy Amorphization of Ti1Sb2Te5 Phase Change Alloy Induced by TiTe2 Nano-Lamellae. Sci Rep. 2016; 6:30645. PMC: 4965780. DOI: 10.1038/srep30645. View

Zhu M, Xia M, Rao F, Li X, Wu L, Ji X . One order of magnitude faster phase change at reduced power in Ti-Sb-Te. Nat Commun. 2014; 5:4086. PMC: 4102114. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5086. View

Xiong F, Liao A, Estrada D, Pop E . Low-power switching of phase-change materials with carbon nanotube electrodes. Science. 2011; 332(6029):568-70. DOI: 10.1126/science.1201938. View

10.

Ambrogio S, Narayanan P, Tsai H, Shelby R, Boybat I, di Nolfo C . Equivalent-accuracy accelerated neural-network training using analogue memory. Nature. 2018; 558(7708):60-67. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0180-5. View

11.

Momand J, Wang R, Boschker J, Verheijen M, Calarco R, Kooi B . Dynamic reconfiguration of van der Waals gaps within GeTe-SbTe based superlattices. Nanoscale. 2017; 9(25):8774-8780. DOI: 10.1039/c7nr01684k. View

12.

Yoo C, Jeon J, Yoon S, Cheng Y, Han G, Choi W . Atomic Layer Deposition of Sb Te /GeTe Superlattice Film and Its Melt-Quenching-Free Phase-Transition Mechanism for Phase-Change Memory. Adv Mater. 2022; 34(50):e2207143. DOI: 10.1002/adma.202207143. View

13.

Jung S, Lee H, Myung S, Kim H, Yoon S, Kwon S . A crossbar array of magnetoresistive memory devices for in-memory computing. Nature. 2022; 601(7892):211-216. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04196-6. View

14.

Zhao J, Khan A, Efremov M, Ye Z, Wu X, Kim K . Probing the Melting Transitions in Phase-Change Superlattices via Thin Film Nanocalorimetry. Nano Lett. 2023; 23(10):4587-4594. DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c01049. View

15.

Kusne A, Yu H, Wu C, Zhang H, Hattrick-Simpers J, DeCost B . On-the-fly closed-loop materials discovery via Bayesian active learning. Nat Commun. 2020; 11(1):5966. PMC: 7686338. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19597-w. View

16.

Yang Z, Li B, Wang J, Wang X, Xu M, Tong H . Designing Conductive-Bridge Phase-Change Memory to Enable Ultralow Programming Power. Adv Sci (Weinh). 2022; 9(8):e2103478. PMC: 8922100. DOI: 10.1002/advs.202103478. View

17.

Ding K, Wang J, Zhou Y, Tian H, Lu L, Mazzarello R . Phase-change heterostructure enables ultralow noise and drift for memory operation. Science. 2019; 366(6462):210-215. DOI: 10.1126/science.aay0291. View

18.

Kuzum D, Jeyasingh R, Lee B, Wong H . Nanoelectronic programmable synapses based on phase change materials for brain-inspired computing. Nano Lett. 2011; 12(5):2179-86. DOI: 10.1021/nl201040y. View

19.

Shen J, Lv S, Chen X, Li T, Zhang S, Song Z . Thermal Barrier Phase Change Memory. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2019; 11(5):5336-5343. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b18473. View

20.

Kolobov A, Fons P, Saito Y, Tominaga J . Atomic Reconfiguration of van der Waals Gaps as the Key to Switching in GeTe/SbTe Superlattices. ACS Omega. 2019; 2(9):6223-6232. PMC: 6644333. DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.7b00812. View