• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.203-206
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• 2004

For the realization of PRAM, $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ (GST) has been employed for the phase transition between the crystal and amorphous states by electrical joule heating. Although there has been a vast amount of results concerning the GST in material aspect for the laser-induced optical storage disc applications, the process-related issues of GST for the PRAM applications have not been reported. In this work, the etching behaviors of GST were investigated when the processing conditions were varied in the high-density helicon plasma. The etching parameters of RF main power, RF bias power, and chamber pressure were fixed at 600 W, 150 W, and 5 mTorr, respectively. For the etching processes, gas mixtures of $Ar/Cl_2$, $Ar/CF_4$, and $Ar/CHF_3$ were employed, in which the etching rates and etching selectivities of GST thin film in given gas mixtures were evaluated. From obtained results, it is found that we can arbitrarily design the etching process according to given cell structures and material combinations for PRAM cell fabrications.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.52-52
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• 2009

To date, chalcogenide alloy such as $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$(GST) have not only been rigorously studied for use in Phase Change Random Access Memory(PRAM) applications, but also temperature gap to make different states is not enough to apply to device between amorphous and crystalline state. In this study, we have investigated a new system of phase change media based on the In-Sb-Te(IST) ternary alloys for PRAM. IST chalcogenide thin films were prepared in trench structure (aspect ratio 5:1 of length=500nm, width=100nm) using Tri methyl Indium $(In(CH_3)_4$), $Sb(iPr)_3$ $(Sb(C_3H_7)_3)$ and $Te(iPr)_2(Te(C_3H_7)_2)$ precursors. MOCVD process is very powerful system to deposit in ultra integrated device like 100nm scaled trench structure. And IST materials for PRAM can be grown at low deposition temperature below $200^{\circ}C$ in comparison with GST materials. Although Melting temperature of 1ST materials was $\sim 630^{\circ}C$ like GST, Crystalline temperature of them was ~$290^{\circ}C$; one of GST were $130^{\circ}C$. In-Sb-Te materials will be good candidate materials for PRAM applications. And MOCVD system is powerful for applying ultra scale integration cell.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.282-282
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• 2011

Low power consuming operation of phase-change random access memory (PRAM) can be achieved by confining the switching volume of phase change media into nanometer scale. Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) is one of the best materials for the phase change random access memory (PRAM) because the GST has two stable states, namely, high and low resistance values, which correspond to the amorphous and crystalline phases of GST, respectively. However, achieving the fast operation speed at lower current requires an alternative chalcogenide material to replace the GST and shrinking the dimension of programmable volume. In this paper, we have fabricated nanoscale contact area on Ge2Sb2Te5 thin films with trimming process. The GST material was fabricated by melt quenching method and the GST thin films were deposited with thickness of 100 nm by the electron beam evaporation system. As a result, the reset current can be safely scaled down by reducing the device contact area and we could confirmed the phase-change characteristics by applying voltage pulses.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.44 no.1 s.296
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• pp.18-22
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• 2007

The phase transition behavior of $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ (GST) thin film, which is a candidate material of recording layer for phase change random access memory (PRAM), has been evaluated using an in-situ reflectance measurement method. The experimental data have been analyzed by using johnson-mehl-avrami-kolomogorov (JMAK) model. JMAK model can be used only in isothermal state. However, temperature changes with time during the operation of PRAM. To apply JMAK equation to PRAM simulation, it has been assumed that the temperature increases stepwise and isothermally. By using JMAK equation and assumption for the transient state, the phase transition behavior of GST thin film has been predicted under $3^{\circ}C/min$ heating rate in this study. The simulation result agrees well with the experimental results. Therefore, It can be concluded that JMAK equation can be used far the PRAM simulation model.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.390-397
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• 2017

In this paper, we propose a scheme for designing a tunable pixel layer based on a $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ (GST) alloy thin film. We show that the phase change of GST can significantly affect the reflection characteristic when the GST film is embedded into a dielectric encapsulation layer. We investigate the appropriate positions of the GST film within the dielectric layer for high diffraction efficiency, and we prove that they are antinodes of Fabry-Perot resonance inside the dielectric layer. Using the proposed scheme, we can increase the diffraction efficiency by about ten times compared to a bare GST film pixel, and 80 times for the first-to-zeroth-order diffraction power ratio. We show that the proposed scheme can be designed alternatively for a broadband or wavelength-selective type by tuning the dielectric thickness, and we discuss a multi-phase example with a double-stack structure.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.322-322
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• 2016

Phase change memory (PCM) has attracted much attention as one of the most promising candidates for next-generation nonvolatile memory. In that regard, the purposes of the study are to propose reference of effective pulse parameter to control phase switching operation and to invest the effect of nitrogen doped in PCM materials for improved cycling stability and economic energy consumption. Switching operation of PCM is affected by electric pulse parameter and as shown in figure.1 are composed to RT(rising time), ST(setting time), FT(falling time) and the effect of these parameter was precisely investigated. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) was used to confirm fine structure and retention cycle test was conducted to confirm reliability. Finally improvement reliability and economic power consumption in quantitatively are obtainable by optimum pulse parameter and nitrogen doping in GST material. these study is related to the engineering background of other semiconductor industries and it have confirmed to possibility further applications.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.199-202
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• 2015

A simple and novel transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample preparation method for phase change nanowire is investigated. A $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ (GST) nanowire TEM sample was meticulously prepared using nanomanipulator and gas injection system in a field emission scanning electron microscopy for efficient and accurate TEM analysis. The process can minimize the damage during the TEM sample preparation of the nanowires, thus enabling the crystallographic analysis of as-grown GST nanowires without unexpected phase transition caused by e-beam heating.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.65-66
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• 2005

Etching characteristics of $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ (GST) films were investigated using $Cl_2$/Ar inductively coupled plasma.We examined the etching characteristics such as etching rate and selectivity over oxide films of GST films using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) with various etching parameters such as $Cl_2$/Ar gas mixing ratios, ICP source power, pressure, and bias power. The maximum etch rate of GST film was $2,815{\AA}$/min and the selectivity higher than 12:1 over the oxide films was also obtained at the $Cl_2$ flow rates of 40 sccm.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 2003

The spectroe-ellipsometric constant $\Delta$, Ψ and the ellipsometric growth curves at the wavelength of 632.8 nm are collected. These are critically examined to find out the optimum growth condition of phase change $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5(GST)$ thin films as an optical recording medium. GST films are prepared using DC magnetron sputtering technique, under the selected experimental conditions of Ar gas pressure (5 mTorr, 7 mTorr and 10 mTorr), DC power of sputtering gun (15 W, 30 W and 45 W), and substrate temperature (from room temperature to 18$0^{\circ}C$). Based on the three film model, the density distribution of deposited GST films are obtained versus Ar gas pressure and DC power by analyzing spectro-ellipsometric data. The calculated evolution curves at the wavelength of 632.8 nm, are fit into the in situ observed ones to get information about the evolution of density distribution during film growth. The density distribution showed different evolution curves depending on deposition conditions. The GST films fabricated at DC power of 30 W or 45 W, and at Ar gas pressure of 7 mTorr turned out to be the most homogeneous one out of those prepared at room temperature, even though the maximum density difference between the dense region and the dilute region of the GST film was still significant (~50%). Finally, in order to find the optimum growth condition of homogeneous GST thin films, the substrate temperature is varied while Ar gas pressure is fixed at 7 mTorr and DC power at 30 W and 45 W respectively. A monotonic decrease of void fraction except for a slight increase at 18$0^{\circ}C$ is observed as the substrate temperature increases. Decrease of void fraction indicates an increase of film density and hence an improvement of film homogeneity. The optimum condition of the most homogeneous GST film growth turned out to be 7 mTorr of Ar gas pressure, 15$0^{\circ}C$ of substrate temperature. and 45 W of DC power. The microscopic images obtained using scanning electron microscope, of the samples prepared at the optimum growth condition, confirmed this conclusion. It is believed that the fabrication of homogeneous GST films will be quite beneficial to provide a reliable optical recording medium compatible with repeated write/erase cycles.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.19.1-19.1
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• 2009

Phase change random access memory (PRAM)은 large sensing signal margin, fast programming speed, low operation voltage, high speed operation, good data retention, high scalability등을 가지는 가장 유망한 차세대 비휘발성 메모리이다. 현재 PRAM용 상변화 재료로는 주로 Ge2Sb2Te5가 사용되고 있지만 reset 전류가 높고 reliability 가 좋지 않아서 새로운 상변화 물질 연구가 필요하다. AgInSbTe (AIST)는 GST와 더불어 열에 의한 가역적 상변화를 하는 소재로 광기록 매체에서는 기록 속도가 빠르고 동작 특성이 우수하다는 특징이 있다. 본 연구에서는 XRD, 비저항측정등을 통해 온도에 따른 AIST의 물성 및 결정화 특성을 분석하고 나노 소자제작을 통해 그 전기적 특성을 평가하였다.