• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.44-49
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• 2022

In this paper, we investigated current (I)- and voltage (V)-sweeping properties in a double-stack structure, Ge₂Sb₂Te₅/Ti/W-doped Ge₈Sb₂Te₁₁, a candidate medium for applications to multilevel phase-change memory. 200-nm-thick and W-doped Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ and W-doped Ge₈Sb₂Te₁₁ films were deposited on p-type Si(100) substrate using magnetron sputtering system, and the sheet resistance was measured using 4 point-probe method. The sheet resistance of amorphous-phase W-doped Ge₈Sb₂Te₁₁ film was about 1 order larger than that of Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ film. The I- and V-sweeping properties were measured using sourcemeter, pulse generator, and digital multimeter. The speed of amorphous-to-multilevel crystallization was evaluated from a graph of resistance vs. pulse duration (t) at a fixed applied voltage (12 V). All the double-stack cells exhibited a two-step phase change process with the multilevel memory states of high-middle-low resistance (HR-MR-LR). In particular, the stable MR state is required to guarantee the reliability of the multilevel phase-change memory. For the Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (150 nm)/Ti (20 nm)/W-Ge₈Sb₂Te₁₁ (50 nm), the phase transformations of HR→MR and MR→LR were observed at t<30ns and t<65ns, respectively. We believe that a high speed and stable multilevel phase-change memory can be optimized by the double-stack structure of proper Ge-Sb-Te films separated by a barrier metal (Ti).

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.330.1-330.1
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• 2014

개인용 노트북, 태블릿 PC, 핸드폰 기술 발전에 의해 언제 어디서나 데이터를 작성하고 기록하는 일들이 가능해졌다. 특히 cloud 시스템을 이용하여 데이터를 휴대기기에 직접 저장하지 않고 server에 기록하는 일들이 가능해짐에 따라 server 기기의 성능, server-room power 및 space 에 대한 관심이 증가하였다. Storage class memory (SCM) 이란 memory device와 storage device의 장점을 결합한 memory를 일컫는 기술로 현재 소형 디바이스 부분부터 점차 그 영역을 넓히고 있다. 그중 phase change material을 이용한 phase change memory (PCM) 기술이 가장 각광받고 있다. PCM의 경우 scaling됨에 의해 cell간의 열 간섭으로 인한 data 손실의 우려가 있어 cell의 면적을 최소화 하여 소자를 제작하여야 한다. 기존의 sputtering등의 PVD 방법으로는 한계가 있어 ALD 공정을 이용한 PCM에 대한 연구가 활발히 진행중이다. 특히 tellurium 원료기체로 silyl 화합물 [1]을 사용하여 주로 $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$의 조성에 초점을 맞춰 진행되고 있으나, 세부 공정에 대한 기본적인 연구는 미비하다. 본 연구에서는 Ge-Sb-Te 3원계 박막을 형성하기 위한 Sb-Te 화합물의 증착 공정에 대한 연구를 수행하였다. 특히 원료기체로 Si이 없는 새로운 Te 원료기체를 이용하여 조성 조절을 하였고, 박막의 물성을 분석하였다. 또한 공정온도에 따른 박막의 물성 변화를 분석하였다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.154-155
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• 2007

PRAM(Phase-Change RAM) is a promising memory that can solve the problem of conventional memory and has the nearly ideal memory characteristics. We reviewed the issues for high density PRAM integration. Writing current reduction is the most urgent problem for high density PRAM realization. So, we studied new constitution of $Ge_1Se_1Te_2$ chalcogenide material and presented the method of reducing the contact size between $Ge_1Se_1Te_2$ and electrode. A small-contact-area electrode is used primarily to supply current into and minimize heat loss from the chalcogenide. In this letter, we expect the method of reducing the contact size between $Ge_1Se_1Te_2$ and electrode to decrease writing current.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.06a
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• pp.218-219
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• 2008

In this paper, we have investigated the phase change memory device with cell structure using three-dimensional finite element analysis tool for reducing reset current. From the simulation, the reset current of PRAM with $SiO_2$ inserting layer is greatly reduced, compared with the conventional device.

• IEIE Transactions on Smart Processing and Computing
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• v.5 no.5
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• pp.337-345
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• 2016

Recently, as the number of cores in computer systems has increased, the need for larger memory capacity has also increased. Unfortunately, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), popularly used as main memory for decades, now faces a scalability limitation. Phase change memory (PCM) is considered one of the strong alternatives to DRAM due to its advantages, such as high scalability, non-volatility, low idle power, and so on. However, since PCM suffers from short write endurance, direct use of PCM in main memory incurs a significant problem due to its short lifetime. To solve the lifetime limitation, many studies have focused on reducing the number of bit flips per write request. In this paper, we describe the PCM operating principles in detail and explore various bit flip reduction schemes. Also, we compare their performance in terms of bit reduction rate and lifetime improvement.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.106-107
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• 2007

A detailed investigation of cell structure and electrical characteristic in chalcogenide-based phase-change random access memory(PRAM) devices is presented. We used compound of Ge-Se-Te material for phase-change cell. Actually, the performance properties have been improved surprisingly then conventional Ge-Sb-Te. However, crystallization time was as long as ever for amorphization time. We conducted this experiment in order to solve that problem by doping-Sb with annealing.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2005.07a
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• pp.205-206
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• 2005

PRAM (Phase change Random Access Memory) is one of the most promising candidates for next generation Non-volatile Memories. The Phase change material has been researched in the field of optical data storage media. Among the phase change materials, $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$(GST) is very well known for its high optical contrast in the state of amorphous and crystalline. However, the characteristics required in solid state memory are quite different from optical ones. In this study, the structural properties of GST thin films with bottom electrode were investigated for PRAM. The 100-nm thick GST films were deposited on TiN/Si and TiAlN/Si substrates by RF sputtering system. In order to characterize the crystal structure and morphology of these films, we performed x-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM).

• 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.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.13-17
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• 2009

In PRAM applications, the devices can be made for both binary and multi-state storage. The ability to attain intermediate stages comes either from the fact that some chalcogenide materials can exist in configurations that range from completely amorphous to completely crystalline or from designing device structure such a way that mimics multiple phase chase phenomena in single cell. We have designed stack-structured phase change memory cell which operates as multi-state storage. Amorphous $Ge_xTe_{100-x}$ chalcogenide materials were stacked and a diffusion barrier was chosen for each stack layers. The device is operated by crystallizing each chalcogenide material as sequential manner from the bottom layer to the top layer. The amplitude of current pulse and the duration of pulse width was fixed and number of pulses were controlled to change overall resistance of the phase change memory cell. To optimize operational performance the thickness of each chalcogenide was controlled based on simulation results.

• 정보저장시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.124-127
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• 2005

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.