Energy-Efficient Phase-Change Memory with Graphene as a Thermal Barrier

Chiyui Ahn; Scott W Fong; Yongsung Kim; Seunghyun Lee; Aditya Sood; Christopher M Neumann; Mehdi Asheghi; Kenneth E Goodson; Eric Pop; H-S Philip Wong

doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b02661

Energy-Efficient Phase-Change Memory with Graphene as a Thermal Barrier

Nano Lett. 2015 Oct 14;15(10):6809-14. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b02661. Epub 2015 Sep 2.

Authors

Chiyui Ahn, Scott W Fong, Yongsung Kim¹, Seunghyun Lee, Aditya Sood, Christopher M Neumann, Mehdi Asheghi, Kenneth E Goodson, Eric Pop, H-S Philip Wong

Affiliation

¹ Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) , Suwon, 443-803, South Korea.

PMID: 26308280
DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b02661

Abstract

Phase-change memory (PCM) is an important class of data storage, yet lowering the programming current of individual devices is known to be a significant challenge. Here we improve the energy-efficiency of PCM by placing a graphene layer at the interface between the phase-change material, Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST), and the bottom electrode (W) heater. Graphene-PCM (G-PCM) devices have ∼40% lower RESET current compared to control devices without the graphene. This is attributed to the graphene as an added interfacial thermal resistance which helps confine the generated heat inside the active PCM volume. The G-PCM achieves programming up to 10(5) cycles, and the graphene could further enhance the PCM endurance by limiting atomic migration or material segregation at the bottom electrode interface.

Keywords: Graphene; Joule heating; phase-change memory; reset current; thermal boundary resistance.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.