초록
We reported here nano-scale electrical phase-change recording in amorphous $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ media using an atomic force microscope (AFM) having conducting probes. In recording process, a pulse voltage is applied to the conductive probe that touches the media surface to change locally the electrical resistivity of a film. However, in contact operation, tip/media wear and contamination could major obstacles, which degraded SNR, reproducibility, and lifetime. In order to overcome tip/media wear and contamination in contact mode operation, we adopted the W incorporated diamond-like carbon (W-DLC) films as a protective layer. Optimized mutilayer media were prepared by a hybrid deposition system of PECVD and RF magnetron sputtering. When suitable electrical pulses were applied to media through the conducting probe, it was observed that data bits as small as 25 nm in diameter have been written and read with good reproducibility, which corresponds to a data density of $1 Tbit/inch^2$. We concluded that stable electrical phase-change recording was possible mainly due to W-DLC layer, which played a role not only capping layer but also resistive layer.