An Investigation of Amorphous Ge₂Se₃ Structure for Phase Change Memory Devices Using Fluctuation Electron Microscopy

Authors

K. Jarvis, Arizona State University
R. W. Carpenter, Arizona State University
M. Davis, Boise State University
Kristy A. Campbell, Boise State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-15-2009

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3225566

Abstract

Medium range order in amorphous thin films of Ge₂Se₃, a phase change memory material, was examined using electron nanodiffraction fluctuation electron microscopy. Variance measurements showed that medium range order existed at 0.36 and 0.58 Å⁻¹. The film was not at equilibrium and contained a few monoclinic nanocrystals with weak Bragg maxima at 0.33, 0.54, and 0.63 Å⁻¹, which are related to the GeSe₂ equilibrium phase at this composition. We also determined the variance for amorphous silicon (a-Si) and amorphous silica (a-SiO₂) and those results agree with others in the literature. It is expected that the medium range order is related to nucleation of the crystallization reaction in Ge₂Se_3.

Publication Information

Jarvis, K.; Carpenter, R. W.; Davis, M.; and Campbell, Kristy A.. (2009). "An Investigation of Amorphous Ge₂Se₃ Structure for Phase Change Memory Devices Using Fluctuation Electron Microscopy". Journal of Applied Physics, 106(8), 083507-1 - 083507-5.