The enhanced thermal stability of single element Sb phase-change materials by rare earth

IF 3.9 2区材料科学 Q2 MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Vacuum Pub Date : 2025-09-25 DOI:10.1016/j.vacuum.2025.114752

Zhongwang Song , Weifeng Gu , Yinxuan Ni , Guoxiang Wang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Sb-based single-element phase-change memory exhibits exceptional potential for next-generation phase-change memory (PCM) applications, owing to its fast phase transition capability and remarkably low resistance drift coefficient. However, it is significantly hindered by its inadequate thermal stability, making it susceptible to spontaneous crystallization at ambient temperature. This research details the production of Sb-Yb composite films utilizing magnetron sputtering techniques, along with an in-depth analysis of their crystallization processes. The Sb-based composite film exhibits high crystallization temperature (120 °C), the Growth-dominated crystallization mode (n_avg = 0.96), low resistance drift (0.015), and enhanced optical bandgap (0.91 eV). These advancements are attributed to a unique crystalline-amorphous nanocomposite structure, where Sb nanograins (10–20 nm) are encapsulated by an amorphous Sb-Yb phase. The amorphous Yb-Sb matrix refines grain size and suppresses excessive growth of Sb nanograins, thereby significantly enhancing the structural thermal stability. This nanocomposite architecture significantly enhances thermal stability in Sb-based PCMs while exhibiting extremely low resistance drift and maintaining the growth-type crystallization mechanism, effectively overcoming the limitations of pure Sb and traditional Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (GST) materials.

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稀土对单元素Sb相变材料热稳定性的增强

基于sb的单元件相变存储器由于其快速的相变能力和非常低的电阻漂移系数，在下一代相变存储器（PCM）应用中表现出非凡的潜力。然而，它的热稳定性不足严重阻碍了它的发展，使它在环境温度下容易自发结晶。本研究详细介绍了利用磁控溅射技术生产Sb-Yb复合薄膜，并对其结晶过程进行了深入分析。该复合薄膜具有高结晶温度（120℃）、生长主导结晶模式（navg = 0.96）、低漂移电阻（0.015）和增强的光学带隙（0.91 eV）等特点。这些进步归功于一种独特的晶体-非晶纳米复合结构，其中Sb纳米颗粒（10-20 nm）被非晶Sb- yb相包裹。非晶Yb-Sb基体细化了晶粒尺寸，抑制了Sb纳米晶粒的过度生长，从而显著提高了结构的热稳定性。这种纳米复合结构显著提高了Sb基PCMs的热稳定性，同时表现出极低的电阻漂移和保持生长型结晶机制，有效克服了纯Sb和传统Ge2Sb2Te5 （GST）材料的局限性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Vacuum 工程技术-材料科学：综合

CiteScore

6.80

自引率

17.50%

发文量

审稿时长

34 days

期刊介绍： Vacuum is an international rapid publications journal with a focus on short communication. All papers are peer-reviewed, with the review process for short communication geared towards very fast turnaround times. The journal also published full research papers, thematic issues and selected papers from leading conferences. A report in Vacuum should represent a major advance in an area that involves a controlled environment at pressures of one atmosphere or below. The scope of the journal includes: 1. Vacuum; original developments in vacuum pumping and instrumentation, vacuum measurement, vacuum gas dynamics, gas-surface interactions, surface treatment for UHV applications and low outgassing, vacuum melting, sintering, and vacuum metrology. Technology and solutions for large-scale facilities (e.g., particle accelerators and fusion devices). New instrumentation ( e.g., detectors and electron microscopes). 2. Plasma science; advances in PVD, CVD, plasma-assisted CVD, ion sources, deposition processes and analysis. 3. Surface science; surface engineering, surface chemistry, surface analysis, crystal growth, ion-surface interactions and etching, nanometer-scale processing, surface modification. 4. Materials science; novel functional or structural materials. Metals, ceramics, and polymers. Experiments, simulations, and modelling for understanding structure-property relationships. Thin films and coatings. Nanostructures and ion implantation.