Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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DS: Fachverband Dünne Schichten

DS 20: Poster

DS 20.39: Poster

Thursday, March 12, 2026, 18:30–20:30, P2

Electrical switching dynamics of Ge-Sb-Te alloys for phase-change memories — •Alexander Kiehn¹ and Matthias Wuttig^1,2 — ¹Peter Grünberg Institute - JARA-Institute Energy Efficient Information Technology (PGI-10), Jülich, Germany — ²I. Institute of Physics (IA), RWTH Aachen University, Germany

Off-stoichiometric Ge-Sb-Te alloys are promising candidates for next-generation phase-change memory (PCM) due to their nonvolatile nature, temperature stability, and fast switching speeds. These properties make them ideal for in-memory computing or applications in data storage, where fast, energy-efficient and reliable memory is crucial. However, in order to integrate PCM into standard semiconductor devices, it is necessary to reduce the switching voltage and current. This is greatly influenced by the composition of the sputtered Ge-Sb-Te layer, as well as the contact electrode material. Using CMOS-compatible fabrication processes, chips were manufactured based on a confined cell PCM design with new TaN contacts. Based on the electrical switching results, trends in thermal stability and the resulting voltage requirements are shown for different alloys. Further analysis also shows the SET and RESET speed as well as endurance of the devices.

Keywords: Phase-change memory; Crystallization kinetics; Metavalent bonding; Ge-Sb-Te