Extended switching endurance of phase change memory through nano-confined cell structure
Abstract Phase change memory has been regarded as a promising candidate for storage class memory application. However, the high switching current and limited switching endurance remain a critical challenge. In this work a switching endurance beyond 1.1 × 1011 cycles is demonstrated in the mushroom-t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60644-1 |
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| _version_ | 1849238538017570816 |
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| author | Jia Zheng Ruobing Wang Wencheng Fang Chengxing Li Jiarui Zhang Ziqi Wan Yuqing Chen Jin Liu Xixi Zou Li Xie Qian Wang Xi Li Sannian Song Xilin Zhou Zhitang Song |
| author_facet | Jia Zheng Ruobing Wang Wencheng Fang Chengxing Li Jiarui Zhang Ziqi Wan Yuqing Chen Jin Liu Xixi Zou Li Xie Qian Wang Xi Li Sannian Song Xilin Zhou Zhitang Song |
| author_sort | Jia Zheng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Phase change memory has been regarded as a promising candidate for storage class memory application. However, the high switching current and limited switching endurance remain a critical challenge. In this work a switching endurance beyond 1.1 × 1011 cycles is demonstrated in the mushroom-type memory device with nano-cofined structure and carbon-doped GeSbTe material. The over-programming of the memory cell induced by excessive RESET current gives rise to the recrystallization of the active phase change volume which accelerates the inward migration of carbon atoms to the bottom heater. The cyclic switching exacerbates the over-programming effect with denser carbon cluster accumulated at the boundary of the active region which causes the stuck-RESET failure. The nano-confined cell structure enables efficient heating by relocating the melt-quench region away from the interface to the dielectric layer which substantially reduces the RESET energy and, consequently, mitigates the over-programming effect and significantly extends the switching cycles. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-53327e973d26487d9e4c8e768c5d850a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-53327e973d26487d9e4c8e768c5d850a2025-08-20T04:01:35ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-0116111110.1038/s41467-025-60644-1Extended switching endurance of phase change memory through nano-confined cell structureJia Zheng0Ruobing Wang1Wencheng Fang2Chengxing Li3Jiarui Zhang4Ziqi Wan5Yuqing Chen6Jin Liu7Xixi Zou8Li Xie9Qian Wang10Xi Li11Sannian Song12Xilin Zhou13Zhitang Song14State Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesAbstract Phase change memory has been regarded as a promising candidate for storage class memory application. However, the high switching current and limited switching endurance remain a critical challenge. In this work a switching endurance beyond 1.1 × 1011 cycles is demonstrated in the mushroom-type memory device with nano-cofined structure and carbon-doped GeSbTe material. The over-programming of the memory cell induced by excessive RESET current gives rise to the recrystallization of the active phase change volume which accelerates the inward migration of carbon atoms to the bottom heater. The cyclic switching exacerbates the over-programming effect with denser carbon cluster accumulated at the boundary of the active region which causes the stuck-RESET failure. The nano-confined cell structure enables efficient heating by relocating the melt-quench region away from the interface to the dielectric layer which substantially reduces the RESET energy and, consequently, mitigates the over-programming effect and significantly extends the switching cycles.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60644-1 |
| spellingShingle | Jia Zheng Ruobing Wang Wencheng Fang Chengxing Li Jiarui Zhang Ziqi Wan Yuqing Chen Jin Liu Xixi Zou Li Xie Qian Wang Xi Li Sannian Song Xilin Zhou Zhitang Song Extended switching endurance of phase change memory through nano-confined cell structure Nature Communications |
| title | Extended switching endurance of phase change memory through nano-confined cell structure |
| title_full | Extended switching endurance of phase change memory through nano-confined cell structure |
| title_fullStr | Extended switching endurance of phase change memory through nano-confined cell structure |
| title_full_unstemmed | Extended switching endurance of phase change memory through nano-confined cell structure |
| title_short | Extended switching endurance of phase change memory through nano-confined cell structure |
| title_sort | extended switching endurance of phase change memory through nano confined cell structure |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60644-1 |
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