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Estimation of kinetic parameters for the phase change memory materials by DSC measurements

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Abstract

The non-isothermal method for estimating the kinetic parameters of crystallization for the phase change memory (PCM) materials was discussed. This method was applied to the perspective PCM material of Ge2Sb2Te5 with different Bi contents (0, 0.5, 1, 3 mass%) for defining the kinetic triplet. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to carry out elemental and phase analysis of the deposited films. Differential scanning calorimetry at eight different heating rates was used to investigate kinetics of thermally induced transformations in materials. Dependences of activation energies of crystallization (E a) on the degree of conversion were estimated by model-free Ozawa–Flynn–Wall, Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose, Tang and Starink methods. The obtained values of E a were quite close for all of these methods. The reaction models of the phase transitions were derived with using of the model-fitting Coats–Redfern method. In order to find pre-exponential factor A at progressive conversion values, we used values of E a already estimated by the model-free isoconversional method. It was established that the crystallization processes in thin films investigated are most likely describes by the second and third-order reactions models. Obtained kinetic triplet allowed predicting transition and storage times of the PCM cells. It was found that thin films of Ge2Sb2Te5 + 0.5 mass% Bi composition can provide the switching time of the phase change memory cell less than 1 ns. At the same time, at room temperature this material has a maximum storage time among the studied compositions.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Russian Federation, equipment of the Probe Microscopy Center for Collective Employment of Ryazan Radio Engineering University, Russian Foundation for Basic Research (14-03-00314), and Russian Science Foundation (14-13-01046).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Research University of Electronic Technology, Bld. 5, Pas. 4806, Zelenograd, Moscow, 124498, Russia

    Alexey Sherchenkov & Alexey Babich

  2. Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 31 Leninsky Prospect, Moscow, 119991, Russia

    Sergey Kozyukhin

  3. Faculty of Chemistry, National Research Tomsk State University, 36 Lenin Prospect, Tomsk, 634050, Russia

    Sergey Kozyukhin

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  1. Alexey Sherchenkov
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  2. Sergey Kozyukhin
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Correspondence to Alexey Babich.

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Sherchenkov, A., Kozyukhin, S. & Babich, A. Estimation of kinetic parameters for the phase change memory materials by DSC measurements. J Therm Anal Calorim 117, 1509–1516 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-014-3899-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-014-3899-8

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