Spatially Resolved Thermometry of Resistive Memory Devices

Eilam Yalon; Sanchit Deshmukh; Miguel Muñoz Rojo; Feifei Lian; Christopher M Neumann; Feng Xiong; Eric Pop

doi:10.1038/s41598-017-14498-3

Spatially Resolved Thermometry of Resistive Memory Devices

Sci Rep. 2017 Nov 10;7(1):15360. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-14498-3.

Authors

Eilam Yalon¹, Sanchit Deshmukh¹, Miguel Muñoz Rojo¹, Feifei Lian¹, Christopher M Neumann¹, Feng Xiong^{1

2}, Eric Pop^{3

4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
² Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
³ Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. epop@stanford.edu.
⁴ Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. epop@stanford.edu.
⁵ Precourt Institute for Energy, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. epop@stanford.edu.

Abstract

The operation of resistive and phase-change memory (RRAM and PCM) is controlled by highly localized self-heating effects, yet detailed studies of their temperature are rare due to challenges of nanoscale thermometry. Here we show that the combination of Raman thermometry and scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) can enable such measurements with high spatial resolution. We report temperature-dependent Raman spectra of HfO₂, TiO₂ and Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (GST) films, and demonstrate direct measurements of temperature profiles in lateral PCM devices. Our measurements reveal that electrical and thermal interfaces dominate the operation of such devices, uncovering a thermal boundary resistance of 28 ± 8 m²K/GW at GST-SiO₂ interfaces and an effective thermopower 350 ± 50 µV/K at GST-Pt interfaces. We also discuss possible pathways to apply Raman thermometry and SThM techniques to nanoscale and vertical resistive memory devices.

Publication types

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