• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.585-593
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• 2008

In this work, we report several experimental data capable of evaluating the phase transformation characteristics of GeSbTe pseudobinary thin films comprehensively utilized as phase change materials. The phase transformation of the GeSbTe thin films was confirmed by XRD measurement from amorphous to hexagonal structure via fee structure except for $Ge_8Sb_2Te_{11}$. In addition, X-ray photoelectron spectra analysis revealed to weaken Ge-Te bond for $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ and to strengthen the bonds of all elements for $Ge_8Sb_2Te_{11}$ during the amorphous to crystalline transition. The values of optical energy gap $(E_{OP})$ were around 0.71 and 0.50 eV and the slopes of absorption in extended region (B) were ${\sim}5.1{\times}10^5$ and ${\sim}10{\times}10^5cm^{-1}{\cdot}V^{-1}$ for the amorphous and fcc-crystalline structures, respectively. Finally, the kinetics of amorphous-to-crystalline phase change on the GeSbTe films was characterized using a nano-pulse scanner with 658-nm laser diode (power; $1{\sim}17$ mW, pulse duration; $10{\sim}460$ ns).

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.918-922
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• 2006

Chalcogenide Phase change memory has the high performance necessary for next-generation memory, because it is a nonvolatile memory with high programming speed, low programming voltage, high sensing margin, low power consumption and long cycle duration. To minimize the power consumption and the program voltage, the new composition material which shows the better phase-change properties than conventional $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ device has to be needed by accurate material engineering. In the present work, we investigate the basic thermal and the electrical properties due to phase-change compared with chalcogenide-based new composition $Ge_1Se_1Te_2$ material thin film and convetional $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ PRAM thin film. The fabricated new composition $Ge_1Se_1Te_2$ thin film exhibited a successful switching between an amorphous and a crystalline phase by applying a 950 ns -6.2 V set pulse and a 90 ns -8.2 V reset pulse. It is expected that the new composition $Ge_1Se_1Te_2$ material thin film device will be possible to applicable to overcome the Set/Reset problem for the nonvolatile memory device element of PRAM instead of conventional $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ device.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.134-134
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• 2009

In this work, we report that crystallization speed as well as the electrical and optical properties about the N-doped $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ thin films. The 200-nm-thick N-doped $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ thin film was deposited on p-type (100) Si and glass substrate by RF reactive sputtering at room temperature. The amorphous-to-crystalline phase transformation of N-doped $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ thin films investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Changes in the optical transmittance of as-deposited and annealed films were measured using a UV-VIS-IR spectrophotometer and four-point probe was used to measure the sheet resistance of N-doped $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ thin films annealed at different temperature. In addition, the surface morphology and roughness of the films were observed by Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). The crystalline speed of amorphous N-doped $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ films were measured by using nano-pulse scanner with 658 nm laser diode (power : 1~17 mW, pulse duration: 10~460 ns). It was found that the crystalline speed of thin films are decreased by adding N and the crystalline temperature is higher. This means that N-dopant in $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ thin film plays a role to suppress amorphous-to-crystalline phase transformation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.06a
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• pp.21-22
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• 2008

In the paper, we report several experimental data capable of evaluating the phase transformation characteristics of $Ag_x(Ge_2Sb_2Te_5)_{1-x}$ (x =0, 0.05, 0.1) thin films. The $Ag_x(Ge_2Sb_2Te_5)_{1-x}$ phase change thin films have been prepared by thermal evaporation. The crystallization characteristics of amorphous$Ag_x(Ge_2Sb_2Te_5)_{1-x}$ thin films were investigated by using nano-pulse scanner with 658 nm laser diode (power; 1~17 mW, pulse duration; 10~460 ns) and XRD measurement. It was found that the more Ag is doped, the more crystallization speed was 50 improved. In comparision with $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ thin film, the sheet resistance$(R_{amor})$ of the amorphous $Ag_x(Ge_2Sb_2Te_5)_{1-x}$ thin films were found to be lager than that of $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ film($R_{amor}$ $\sim10^7\Omega/\square$ and $R_{cryst}$ 10 $\Omega/\square$). That is, the ratio of $R_{amor}/R_{cryst}$ was evaluates to be $\sim10^6$ This is very helpful to writing current reduction of phase-change random acess memory.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.347-347
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• 2010

In other to progress better crystallization transition and long phase-transformation data of phase-change memory (PRAM), we investigated about the effect of Sb doping and Ag ions percolating into Ge-Se-Te phase-change material. Doped Sb concentrations was determined each of 10 wt%, 20 wt% and 30 wt%. As the Sb-doping concentration was increased, the resistivity decreased and the crystallization temperature increased. Ionization of Ag was progressed by DPSS laser (532 nm) for 1 hour. The resistivity was more decreased and the crystallization temperature was more increased in case of adding Ag layer under Sb-(Ge-Se-Te) thin film. At the every condition of thin films included Ag layer more stable states were indicated compare with just Sb-doped Ge-Se-Te thin films.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.186-186
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• 2013

Nitrogen doped Ge-Sb-Te (N-GST) thin films for phase change random access memory (PRAM) applications were investigated by synchrotron-radiation-based x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and absorption spectroscopy. Nitrogen doping in GST resulted in more favorable N atoms' bonding with Ge atoms rather than with Sb and Te atoms [1,2], which explains the higher phase change transition temperature than that of undoped Ge-Sb-Te thin film. Surprisingly, it was noticed that N atoms also existed in the form of molecular nitrogen, $N_2$, which is detrimental to the stability of the GST performance [3]. N-doped GST experimental features were also supported by ab-initio molecular dynamic calculations [2]. References [1] M.-C. Jung, Y. M. Lee, H.-D. Kim, M. G. Kim, and H. J. Shin, K. H. Kim, S. A. Song, H. S. Jeong, C. H. Ko, and M. Han, "Ge nitride formation in N-doped amorphous Ge2Sb2Te5", Appl. Phys. Lett. 91, 083514 (2007). [2] Zhimei Sun, Jian Zhou, Hyun-Joon Shin, Andreas Blomqvist, and Rajeev Ahuja, "Stable nitride complex and molecular nitrogen in N doped amorphous Ge2Sb2Te5", Appl. Phys. Lett. 93, 241908 (2008). [3] Kihong Kim, Ju-Chul Park, Jae-Gwan Chung, and Se Ahn Song, Min-Cherl Jung, Young Mi Lee, Hyun-Joon Shin, Bongjin Kuh, Yongho Ha, Jin-Seo Noh, "Observation of molecular nitrogen in N-doped Ge2Sb2Te5", Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 243520 (2006).

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.88-93
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• 2024

To evaluate the possibility as a multi-level memory medium for the Ge₂Sb₂Te₅/TiN/W-doped Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ cell structure, the crystallization rate and stabilization characteristics according to voltage (V)- and current (I)- pulse sweeping were investigated. In the cell structures prepared by a magnetron sputtering system on a p-type Si (100) substrate, the Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ and W-doped Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ thin films were separated by a barrier metal, TiN, and the individual thicknesses were varied, but the total thickness was fixed at 200 nm. All cell structures exhibited relatively stable multi-level states of high-middle-low resistance (HR-MR-LR), which guarantee the reliability of the multilevel phase-change random access memory (PRAM). The amorphousto-multilevel crystallization rate was evaluated from a graph of resistance (R) vs. pulse duration (T) obtained by the nanoscaled pulse sweeping at a fixed applied voltage (12 V). For all structures, the phase-change rates of HR→MR and MR→LR were estimated to be approximately t<20 ns and t<40 ns, respectively, and the states were relatively stable. We believe that the doublestack structure of an appropriate Ge-Sb-Te film separated by barrier metal (TiN) can be optimized for high-speed and stable multilevel PRAM.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.115-115
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• 2007

PRAM (Phase Change Random Access Memory)은 상변화 물질의 비저항 차이를 이용한 메모리 소자로 차세대 비휘발성 메모리로 주목받고 있다. 현재 상변화 물질로 사용되고 있는 $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ 박막은 결정질 상태에서 저항이 낮아 RESET 동작에서 많은 전력이 소비되고 메모리의 고집적의 어려움이 있다. 이러한 문제를 해결하기 위해 상변화 물질의 개선과 소자 구조의 개선 등의 새로운 접근이 시도되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ 박막의 전기적 특성을 개선하기 위해서 이종 원소인 질소를 첨가한 N-doped $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ 박막에 대한 특성을 살펴 보았다. $SiO_2$/Si 기판 위에 100 nm 두께의 박막을 D.C. magnetron sputter 방법으로 증착하여, 질소 분위기 $100^{\circ}C{\sim}300^{\circ}C$온도 구간에서 열처리하였다. 열처리에 따른 박막 특성을 관찰하기 위해 면저항 측정, XRD, TEM 분석을 통해 박막 특성을 관찰하였다. 면저항 측정과 XRD peak 분석을 통해 $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ 시스템에 비하여 N-doped $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ 시스템의 결정화 온도가 상승하였음을 확인하였다. 면저항은 첨가된 질소의 조성이 증가할수록 증가하였고, FCC 상에서 HCP 상으로의 상변화 온도 역시 증가하였다. 첨가된 질소가 $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$, 박막의 결정 성장을 억제하였고, 상대적으로 높은 저항을 가지고 안정한 FCC상을 고온 열처리 이후에도 유지하였다. 질소 첨가를 이용한 상변화 물질의 열안정성 향상과 저소비전력 구동을 통해 향후 고집적 상변화 메모리에의 적용이 가능하다.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.42 no.5 s.276
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• pp.326-332
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• 2005

Phase transformation effects on mechanical properties of $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$, which is a promising candidate material for Phase Change Random Access Memory (PRAM), were studied. $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ thin films, which was thermally annealed with different conditions, were analyzed using XRD, AFM, 4-point probe method and reflectance measurement. As the temperature and the dwelling time increased, crystallity and grain size increased, which enhanced elastic modulus and hardness. Furthermore, N2 doping, which was used for better electrical properties, was proved to decrease elastic modulus and hardness of $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.103-103
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• 2009

본 논문에서는 기존의 GST(GeSbTe=2:2:5)와 비교하여 상변화 재료로서의 Ga 도핑된 $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$의 가능성을 확인하고자 하였다. 실험에 사용된 Ga 도핑된 $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ 박막은 전통적 melt-quenching 방법에 의해 비정질로 제작된 벌크를 Thermal evaporation을 통하여 Si(100) 및 유리 (coming glass, 7059) 기판 위에 200nm의 두께로 증착하여 제작하였다. 각 박막의 상변화 특성은 여러 온도에서 열처리된 박막을 X-ray diffraction (XRD) 측정을 통하여 확인하였다. 각 조성 박막의 비정질-결정질 상변화속도 비교를 위하여 나노-펄스 스캐너 (nano-pulse scanner)를 사용하여 power; 1~17mW, pulse duration; 10~460ns 범위에서 박막의 상변화에 따른 반사도 차이를 측정 분석하였다. Ga의 도핑농도에 따른 전기적 특성 차이를 확인하기 위하여 4-point probe를 이용하여 박막의 면 저항을 측정하였고 또한 hall 측정을 통하여 박막의 흘 계수, 흘 농도 및 이동도를 확인하고 Ga가 상전이에 미치는 영향에 대하여 분석하였다.