Picosecond electric-field-induced threshold switching in phase-change materials
Abstract
Many chalcogenide glasses undergo a breakdown in electronic resistance above a critical field strength. Known as threshold switching, this mechanism enables field-induced crystallization in emerging phase-change memory. Purely electronic as well as crystal nucleation assisted models have been employed to explain the electronic breakdown. Here, picosecond electric pulses are used to excite amorphous AgInSbTe. Field-dependent reversible changes in conductivity and pulse-driven crystallization are observed. The present results show that threshold switching can take place within the electric pulse on sub-picosecond time-scales - faster than crystals can nucleate. This supports purely electronic models of threshold switching and reveals potential applications as an ultrafast electronic switch.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1602.01885,
title = {Picosecond electric-field-induced threshold switching in phase-change materials},
author = {Peter Zalden and Michael J. Shu and Frank Chen and Xiaoxi Wu and Yi Zhu and Haidan Wen and Scott Johnston and Zhi-Xun Shen and Patrick Landreman and Mark Brongersma and Scott W. Fong and H. -S. Philip Wong and Meng-Ju Sher and Peter Jost and Matthias Kaes and Martin Salinga and Alexander von Hoegen and Matthias Wuttig and Aaron Lindenberg},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1602.01885},
year = {2016}
}
Comments
6 pages manuscript with 3 figures and 8 pages supplementary material