In situ characterization of vacancy ordering in Ge-Sb-Te phase-change memory alloys.

ABSTRACT: Tailoring the degree of structural disorder in Ge-Sb-Te alloys is important for the development of non-volatile phase-change memory and neuro-inspired computing. Upon crystallization from the amorphous phase, these alloys form a cubic rocksalt-like structure with a high content of intrinsic vacancies. Further thermal annealing results in a gradual structural transition towards a layered structure and an insulator-to-metal transition. In this work, we elucidate the atomic-level details of the structural transition in crystalline GeSb₂Te₄ by in situ high-resolution transmission electron microscopy experiments and ab initio density functional theory calculations, providing a comprehensive real-time and real-space view of the vacancy ordering process. We als

SUBMITTER: Jiang TT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11489497 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature