• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2007.07a
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• pp.1329-1330
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• 2007

Phase-change random access memory(PRAM) has many advantages compare with the existing memory. For example, fast programming speed, low programming voltage, high sensing margin, low power consume and long cyclability of read/write. Though it has many advantages, there are some points which must be improved. So, we invented and studied new constitution of $Ge_{1}Se_{1}Te_{2}$ chalcogenide material. Actually, the performance properties have been improved surprisingly. However, crystallization time was as long as ever for amorphization time. In this paper, we studied in order to make set operation time and reset operation voltage reduced. In the present work, by alloying Sb in $Ge_{1}Se_{1}Te_{2}$. we could confirm that improved its set operation time and reset operation voltage. As a result, the method of Sb-alloyed $Ge_{1}Se_{1}Te_{2}$ can be solution to decrease the set operation time and reset operation voltage.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2008.07a
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• pp.1272-1273
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• 2008

PRAM(Phase change access memory) has desirable characteristics including high speed, low cost, low power, and simple process. PRAM is based on the reversible phase transition between resistive amorphous and conductive crystalline states of chalcogenide. However, PRAM needs high reset current for operation. PRAM have to reduce reset current for high density and competitiveness. Therefore, we have investigated the reset current of PRAM with top electrode contact hole size using 3-D finite element analysis tool in this paper.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.215-215
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• 2010

The feasibility of InSbTe (IST) chalcogenide materials prepared by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) for phase-change memory (PRAM) applications was demonstrated. Films grown below $225^{\circ}C$ exhibited an amorphous structure, and the films grown at $300^{\circ}C$ Cincluded various crystalline phases such as In-Sb-Te, In-Sb, In-Te, and Sb-Te. The composition of the amorphous films grown at $225^{\circ}C$ was dependent on the working pressure. Films grown at $225^{\circ}C$ exhibited a smooth morphology with a root mean square(rms) roughness of less than 1nm, and the step-coverage of the films grown on a trench structure with an aspect ratio of 5:1 was greater than 90%. An increase in deposition time increased the filling rate, while retaining the conformal step-coverage. Films grown at $225^{\circ}C$ for 3h in a working pressure of $13{\times}10^2$ Pa exhibited a reproducible and complete filling in a trench structure.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.155-160
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• 2010

The effect of process temperature of a final annealing step in the fabrication of phase change memory (PCM) devices was investigated. Discrete PCM devices employing $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ (GST) films as an active element were made in a pore-style configuration, and they were annealed at various temperatures ranging from 160 to $300^{\circ}C$. The behaviors of cell resistance change from SET resistance to RESET resistance were totally different according to the annealing temperatures. There was a critical annealing temperature for the fabrication of normal PCM devices and abnormal operations were observed in some devices annealed at temperatures lower or higher than the critical temperature. Those influences of annealing temperature seem closely related to the thermal stability of a top electrode/GST/heating layer multilayer structure in the PCM devices.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.133-138
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• 2017

We evaluated the structural, electrical and optical properties of tungsten (W)-doped $Ge_8Sb_2Te_{11}$ thin films. In a previous work, GeSbTe alloys were doped with different materials in an attempt to improve thermal stability. 200 mm thick $Ge_8Sb_2Te_{11}$ and W-doped $Ge_8Sb_2Te_{11}$ films were deposited on p-type Si (100) and glass substrates using a magnetron co-sputtering system at room temperature. The fabricated films were annealed in a furnace in the $0{\sim}400^{\circ}C$ temperature range. The structural properties were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (X'pert PRO, Phillips). The results showed increased crystallization temperature ($T_c$) leading to thermal stability in the amorphous state. The optical properties were analyzed using an UV-Vis-IR spectrophotometer (Shimadzu, U-3501, range : 300~3,000 nm). The results showed an increase in the crystalline material optical energy band gap ($E_{op}$) and an increase in the $E_{op}$ difference (${\Delta}E_{op}$). This is a good effect to reduce memory device noise. The electrical properties were analyzed using a 4-point probe (CNT-series). This showed increased sheet resistance ($R_s$), which reduces programming current in the memory device.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.376-381
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• 2019

In this work, we evaluated the structural, electrical and optical properties of $Ge_8Sb_2Te_{11}$ and Cu-doped $Ge_8Sb_2Te_{11}$ thin films prepared by rf-magnetron reactive sputtering. The 200-nm-thick deposited films were annealed in a range of $100{\sim}400^{\circ}C$ using a furnace in an $N_2$ atmosphere. The amorphous-to-crystalline phase changes of the thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis-IR spectrophotometry, a 4-point probe, and a source meter. A one-step phase transformation from amorphous to face-centered-cubic (fcc) and an increase of the crystallization temperature ($T_c$) was observed in the Cu-doped film, which indicates an enhanced thermal stability in the amorphous state. The difference in the optical energy band gap ($E_{op}$) between the amorphous and crystalline phases was relatively large, approximately 0.38~0.41 eV, which is beneficial for reducing the noise in the memory devices. The sheet resistance($R_s$) of the amorphous phase in the Cu-doped film was about 1.5 orders larger than that in undoped film. A large $R_s$ in the amorphous phase will reduce the programming current in the memory device. An increase of threshold voltage ($V_{th}$) was seen in the Cu-doped film, which implied a high thermal efficiency. This suggests that the Cu-doped $Ge_8Sb_2Te_{11}$ thin film is a good candidate for PRAM.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.06a
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• pp.191-192
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• 2008

For phase transition method, good record sensitivity, low heat radiation, fast crystallization and hi-resolution are essential. Also, a retention time is very important part for phase-transition. In our past papers, we chose composition of $Ge_1Se_1Te_2$ material to use a Se factor which has good optical sensitivity than conventional Sb. Ge-Se-Te and Ag/$Ge_1Se_1Te_2$ samples are fabricated and irradiated with He-Ne laser and DPSS laser to investigate a reversible phase change by light. Because of Ag ions, the Ag layer inserted sample showed better performance than conventional one. We should note that this novel one showed another possibility for phase-change random access memory.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.491-496
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• 2014

The resistive switching characteristics of resistive random access memory (ReRAM) based on amorphous $Ge_{0.5}Se_{0.5}$ thin films have been demonstrated by using Ti/Ag nanocrystals/$Ge_{0.5}Se_{0.5}$/Pt structure. Ag nanocrystals (Ag NCs) were spread on the amorphous $Ge_{0.5}Se_{0.5}$ thin film and they played the role of metal ions source. As a result, comparing the conventional Ag/$Ge_{0.5}Se_{0.5}$/Pt structure, this Ti/Ag NCs/$Ge_{0.5}Se_{0.5}$/Pt ReRAM device exhibits the highly uniform bipolar resistive switching (BRS) characteristics, such as the operating voltages, and the resistance values. At the same time, a stable DC endurance(> 100 cycles), and the excellent data retention (> $10^4$ sec) properties were found from the Ti/Ag NCs/$Ge_{0.5}Se_{0.5}$/Pt structured ReRAM device.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.166-166
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• 2007

PRAM (phase-change random access memory)은 전류 펄스 인가에 따른 기록매질의 비정질-결정질 간 상변화와 그에 동반되는 저항변화를 이용하는 차세대 비휘발성 메모리 소자로서 연구되어지고 있다. 본 논문에서는 $(Ge_2Sb_2Te_5)_{1-x}Se_x$ (x=0,0.05,0.1,0.15) 조성에 대한 벌크 및 박막시료를 제작하고 각 조성에 대한 상변화 특성을 분석하였다. XRD를 통해 열처리 온도에 따른 구조적 분석을 실시하였고 UV-Vis-IR spectrophotometer를 사용하여 박막의 광학적 특성을 분석하였다. 또한 각 조성의 결정화 속도를 비교하기 위해 static tester를 사용하여 레이저 펄스 시간에 대한 반사도 변화를 측정하였고 DSC를 통해 결정화 온도를 측정하였다.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.33-37
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• 1999

Unidirectional magnetic anisotropy field ($H_an$) was investigated for thin films of $CdCr{2-2x}In_{2X}Se_4 (0$\leq$x$\leq$0.2). This anisotropy originates from the microscopic anisotropic Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction which arise from the spin-orbit scattering of the conduction electrons by the nonmagnetic impurities. This interaction maintains the remanent magnetization in the direction of the initial applied field. Then the single easy direction of the magnetization is parallel to the direction of the magnetic field. The anisotropy produced by field cooling is unidirectional I.e. the spins system deeps some memory of the cooling field direction. The chalcogenide spinel of$ CdCr_{2-2x}In){2X}Se_4$belongs to the class of the magnetic semiconductors. The magnetic disordered state is obtained when ferromagnetic structure is diluted by In. Then we have the mixed phase characterised by coexistence the magnetic long range ordering (IFN-infinite ferromagnetic network) and the spin glass order (Fc-finite clusters). The total magnetic anisotropy energy depends on the state of magnetic ordering. In our study we concentrated on the magnetic state with reentrant transition and spin glass state. The polycrystalline $ CdCr_{2-2x}In){2X}Se_4$ thin films were obtained by rf sputtering technique. We applied the ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and M-H loop techniques for determining the temperature composition dependencies of Han. From the experimental data, we have found that Han decreases almost linearly when temperature is increased and in the low temperature is about three times bigger at SG state with comparison to the state with REE.