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Herein, a finite element simulation framework for phase‐change memory devices that simultaneously solves for current continuity, electrothermal heating, and crystallization–amorphization dynamics using electrothermal models and dynamic material parameters that are functions of electric field and temperature is described. In this latest model, an electric field‐ and temperature‐dependent electrical conductivity model of stable amorphous Ge2Sb2Te5(GST) obtained from experiments performed on GST line cells to study Read, Reset, and Set operations of mushroom cells is incorporated. The effects of current polarity, heater height, Reset pulse rise and fall times, access device configuration, and ambient temperature are analyzed. The simulation results predict a 2x change in Reset current requirements with different current polarity due to thermoelectric effects. Heater height plays a significant role in thermal losses; ≈16% decrease in Reset current for 4x increase in the heater height is obtained. Increase in the ambient temperature results in a linear decrease in the Reset power required to achieve the same Reset/Set resistance contrast.
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Computational Analysis of Complex Amorphization/Crystallization Dynamics in Large Phase Change Memory Devices
Phase change memory devices become practical for non-volatile storage at small dimensions due to reduced power and predictable device operation. In larger scale cells, devices can be locally melted due to filament formation and liquid filaments can be retained in parts of the cell for a long time even if most or all of the cells are initially amorphized during long fall-times. The complex amorphization and crystallization dynamics make these large cells more unpredictable and enable their applications as physically unclonable functions (PUF) [1,2]. Computational analysis of the complex amorphization-crystallization dynamics in phase change memory devices with large geometries is important to understand the evolution of phase distributions and temperature profiles during programming of these devices. In this work, we conduct electrothermal finite element simulations of reset operation on a large Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) cell using the framework we have developed in COMSOL multiphysics [3]-[9] and analyze the complex dynamics of amorphization, nucleation and growth during electrical stress. We input voltage waveforms measured from electrical characterization of on-oxide GST line cells with bottom metal contact pads and Si3N4 capping. A 2D polycrystalline model of the experimentally measured cells (~360 nm wide, ~400 nm long and ~50 nm thick) is constructed in the simulations. Access devices are modeled using the spice models. The simulations capture some of the interplay between changes in the device resistance due to heating and phase changes and current fluctuations.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1710468
- PAR ID:
- 10105356
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Materials Research Society symposia proceedings
- ISSN:
- 0272-9172
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- EP08.08.02
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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We characterized resistance drift in phase change memory devices in the 80 K to 300 K temperature range by performing measurements on 20 nm thick, ∼70–100 nm wide lateral Ge2Sb2Te5(GST) line cells. The cells were amorphized using 1.5–2.5 V pulses with ∼50–100 ns duration leading to ∼0.4–1.1 mA peak reset currents resulting in amorphized lengths between ∼50 and 700 nm. Resistance drift coefficients in the amorphized cells are calculated using constant voltage measurements starting as fast as within a second after amorphization and for 1 h duration. Drift coefficients range between ∼0.02 and 0.1 with significant device-to-device variability and variations during the measurement period. At lower temperatures (higher resistance states) some devices show a complex dynamic behavior, with the resistance repeatedly increasing and decreasing significantly over periods in the order of seconds. These results point to charge trapping and de-trapping events as the cause of resistance drift.more » « less
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