Phase Transition Characteristics in $Ge_xSb_{100-x}$ Film for Optical Storage Media

Rewritable optical memory devices such as an CD-RW and DVD+RW are data storage media, which take advantage of the different optical properties in the amorphous and crystalline states of phase change materials. The switching property, structural transformation, transformation kinetics and chemical bindings of $Ge_xSb_{100-x}$($6{\le}x{\le}$34) were studied to investigate the feasibility of applying $Ge_xSb_{100-x}$ alloys in optical memory. The $Ge_xSb_{100-x}$ thin film was deposited by RF magnetron co-sputtering system and phase change characteristics were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), static tester, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) and atomic force microscopy (AEM). Optimum fiim composition of $Ge_xSb_{100-x}$ was studied and its minimum time fur laser induced crystallization and optical contrast fur phase transition was performed. These results might be correlated with the binding energies between Ge and Sb, and indicate that $Ge_xSb_{100-x}$ have an potential far optical memory applications.