Temperature-dependent phase separation during annealing of Ge2Sb2Te5 thin films in vacuum

Thermal stability of 100 nm Ge2Sb2Te5 thin film during annealing from room temperature to 240 °C inside a UHV chamber was studied in situ by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ex situ by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Ge species are found to diffuse preferentially to the surface when GST film is annealed from 25 °C to 100 °C. This process is accompanied by a change of phase whereby the amorphous film completely becomes face-center-cubic (FCC) phase at 100 °C. From 100 °C to 200 °C, both Sb and Te species are observed to diffuse more to the surface. The FCC phase is partially changed into hexagonal-close-pack (HCP) phase at 200 °C. At 220 °C, FCC phase is completely transformed into HCP phase. Loss of Sb and Te are also detected from the surface and this is attributed to desorption due to their high vapor pressures. At 240 °C, Sb and Te species are found to have desorbed completely from the surface, and leave behind Ge-rich 3D droplets on the surface. The separation of Ge2Sb2Te5 into Sb,Te-rich phase and Ge-rich phase is thus the main mechanism to account for the failure of Ge2Sb2Te5-based phase change memory devices under thermal stress.

► Thermal stability of 100 nm Ge2Sb2Te5 during annealing in vacuum was studied. ► Ge diffuses more to the surface from 25 to 100 °C. ► Sb and Te diffuse more to surface from 100 to 200 °C, but start desorbing at 220 °C. ► At 240 °C, Sb and Te desorb completely, leaving Ge-rich droplets on the surface. ► Phase separation degrades Ge2Sb2Te5-based phase change memory under thermal stress.