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 °C 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.