Enhanced Performance of Phase Change Memory Cell Element by Initial Operation and Non-Cumulative Programming
CHEN Yi-Feng, SONG Zhi-Tang, CHEN Xiao-Gang, LIU Bo, XU Cheng, FENG Gao-Ming, WANG Liang-Yong, ZHONG Min, FENG Song-Lin
State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Laboratory of Nanotechnology, Shanghai Institute of Micro-system and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai 200050
Enhanced Performance of Phase Change Memory Cell Element by Initial Operation and Non-Cumulative Programming
CHEN Yi-Feng, SONG Zhi-Tang, CHEN Xiao-Gang, LIU Bo, XU Cheng, FENG Gao-Ming, WANG Liang-Yong, ZHONG Min, FENG Song-Lin
State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Laboratory of Nanotechnology, Shanghai Institute of Micro-system and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai 200050
摘要A phase change memory (PCM) device, based on the Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) material, is fabricated using the standard 0.18−μm CMOS technology. After serials of detailed experiments on the phase transition behaviors, we find that the RESET process is strongly dependent on the state of the inactive area and the active area affects the SET process dramatically. By applying a 5−mA current-voltage (I-V) sweep as initial operation, we can reduce the voltage drop beyond the active area during the RESET process and the overall RESET voltage decreases from 3 V plus to 2.5 V. For the SET operation, a non−cumulative programming method is introduced to eliminate the impact of randomly formed amorphous active area, which is strongly related to the threshold switching process and SET voltage. Combining the two methods, the endurance performance of the PCM device has been remarkably improved beyond 1×106 cycles.
Abstract：A phase change memory (PCM) device, based on the Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) material, is fabricated using the standard 0.18−μm CMOS technology. After serials of detailed experiments on the phase transition behaviors, we find that the RESET process is strongly dependent on the state of the inactive area and the active area affects the SET process dramatically. By applying a 5−mA current-voltage (I-V) sweep as initial operation, we can reduce the voltage drop beyond the active area during the RESET process and the overall RESET voltage decreases from 3 V plus to 2.5 V. For the SET operation, a non−cumulative programming method is introduced to eliminate the impact of randomly formed amorphous active area, which is strongly related to the threshold switching process and SET voltage. Combining the two methods, the endurance performance of the PCM device has been remarkably improved beyond 1×106 cycles.
[1] Ovshinsky S R 1968 Phys. Rev. Lett. 21 1450
[2] Feinleib J et al 1971 Appl. Phys. Lett. 186 254
[3] Zhong M et al 2008 Chin. Phys. Lett. 25 762
[4] Lai S and Lowrey T 2001 IEDM Tech. Dig. 36.5.1
[5] Feng G M et al 2008 Chin. Phys. Lett. 25 2289
[6] Horii H et al 2003 Symp. VLSI Technology Digest of Technical Papers 177
[7] Liu B et al 2007 Chin. Phys. Lett. 24 262
[8] Xu C et al 2008 Appl. Phys. Lett. 92 062103
[9] Liu B et al 2005 Thin Solid Films 478 49
[10] Zhang T et al 2004 Chin. Phys. Lett. 21 741
[11] Mendoza-Galván A and González-Hernández J 2000 J. Appl. Phys. 87 760
2010, Vol. 27 
