Amorphous to Crystal Phase Change Memory Effect with Two-Fold Bandgap Difference in Semiconducting K2Bi8Se13

Saiful M. Islam; Vinod K. Sangwan; D. Bruce Buchholz; Spencer A. Wells; Lintao Peng; Li Zeng; Yihui He; Mark C. Hersam; John B. Ketterson; Tobin J. Marks; Michael J. Bedzyk; Matthew Grayson; Mercouri G. Kanatzidis

doi:10.1021/jacs.1c01484

Amorphous to Crystal Phase Change Memory Effect with Two-Fold Bandgap Difference in Semiconducting K₂Bi₈Se₁₃

Saiful M. Islam, Vinod K. Sangwan, D. Bruce Buchholz, Spencer A. Wells, Lintao Peng, Li Zeng, Yihui He, Mark C. Hersam, John B. Ketterson, Tobin J. Marks, Michael J. Bedzyk, Matthew Grayson, Mercouri G. Kanatzidis^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Chalcogenide-based phase change memory (PCM) is a key enabling technology for optical data storage and electrical nonvolatile memory. Here, we report a new phase change chalcogenide consisting of a 3D network of ionic (K···Se) and covalent bonds (Bi-Se), K2Bi8Se13 (KBS). Thin films of amorphous KBS deposited by DC sputtering are structurally and chemically homogeneous and exhibit a surface roughness of 5 nm. The KBS film crystallizes upon heating at 483 K. The optical bandgap of the amorphous film is about 1.25 eV, while its crystalline phase has a bandgap of ∼0.65 eV shows 2-fold difference between the two states. The bulk electrical conductivity of the amorphous and crystalline film is ∼7.5 × 10-4 and ∼2.7 × 10-2 S/cm, respectively. We have demonstrated a phase change memory effect in KBS by Joule heating in a technologically relevant vertical memory cell architecture. Upon Joule heating, the vertical device undergoes switching from its amorphous to crystalline state of KBS at 1-1.5 V (∼50 kV/cm), increasing conductivity by a factor of ∼40. Besides the large electrical and optical contrast in the crystalline and amorphous KBS, its elemental cost-effectiveness, stoichiometry, fast crystallization kinetics, as determined by the ratio of the glass transition and melting temperature, Tg/Tm ∼0.5, as well as the scalable synthesis of the thin film determine that KBS is a promising PC material for next general phase change memory.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	6221-6228
Number of pages	8
Journal	Journal of the American Chemical Society
Volume	143
Issue number	16
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.1c01484
State	Published - Apr 28 2021

Funding

Authors are thankful to the National Science Foundation (NSF) Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) (NSF DMR-1720139). SEM, EDS, TEM, Raman, XPS analyses and XRR were performed at the EPIC facility of the NUANCE Center and J.B. Cohen X-ray diffraction facility at Northwestern University (NU), which is partially supported by the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS-1542205), the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (NSF DMR-1720139), the State of Illinois, and NU. GIWAXS was performed at the APS DND-CAT 5BM-C station, which is supported through E. I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., NU, the Dow Chemical Co., and the NSF funded MRSEC at NU. The use of the APS was supported by DOE-BES (DE-AC02-06CH11357).

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Catalysis
General Chemistry
Biochemistry
Colloid and Surface Chemistry

Access to Document

10.1021/jacs.1c01484

Cite this

Islam, S. M., Sangwan, V. K., Bruce Buchholz, D., Wells, S. A., Peng, L., Zeng, L., He, Y., Hersam, M. C., Ketterson, J. B., Marks, T. J., Bedzyk, M. J., Grayson, M., & Kanatzidis, M. G. (2021). Amorphous to Crystal Phase Change Memory Effect with Two-Fold Bandgap Difference in Semiconducting K₂Bi₈Se₁₃. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 143(16), 6221-6228. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.1c01484

@article{1ba4259c68e34cbdabfc69ed6b9a19ce,

title = "Amorphous to Crystal Phase Change Memory Effect with Two-Fold Bandgap Difference in Semiconducting K2Bi8Se13",

abstract = "Chalcogenide-based phase change memory (PCM) is a key enabling technology for optical data storage and electrical nonvolatile memory. Here, we report a new phase change chalcogenide consisting of a 3D network of ionic (K···Se) and covalent bonds (Bi-Se), K2Bi8Se13 (KBS). Thin films of amorphous KBS deposited by DC sputtering are structurally and chemically homogeneous and exhibit a surface roughness of 5 nm. The KBS film crystallizes upon heating at 483 K. The optical bandgap of the amorphous film is about 1.25 eV, while its crystalline phase has a bandgap of ∼0.65 eV shows 2-fold difference between the two states. The bulk electrical conductivity of the amorphous and crystalline film is ∼7.5 × 10-4 and ∼2.7 × 10-2 S/cm, respectively. We have demonstrated a phase change memory effect in KBS by Joule heating in a technologically relevant vertical memory cell architecture. Upon Joule heating, the vertical device undergoes switching from its amorphous to crystalline state of KBS at 1-1.5 V (∼50 kV/cm), increasing conductivity by a factor of ∼40. Besides the large electrical and optical contrast in the crystalline and amorphous KBS, its elemental cost-effectiveness, stoichiometry, fast crystallization kinetics, as determined by the ratio of the glass transition and melting temperature, Tg/Tm ∼0.5, as well as the scalable synthesis of the thin film determine that KBS is a promising PC material for next general phase change memory.",

author = "Islam, {Saiful M.} and Sangwan, {Vinod K.} and {Bruce Buchholz}, D. and Wells, {Spencer A.} and Lintao Peng and Li Zeng and Yihui He and Hersam, {Mark C.} and Ketterson, {John B.} and Marks, {Tobin J.} and Bedzyk, {Michael J.} and Matthew Grayson and Kanatzidis, {Mercouri G.}",

note = "Funding Information: Authors are thankful to the National Science Foundation (NSF) Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) (NSF DMR-1720139). SEM, EDS, TEM, Raman, XPS analyses and XRR were performed at the EPIC facility of the NUANCE Center and J.B. Cohen X-ray diffraction facility at Northwestern University (NU), which is partially supported by the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS-1542205), the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (NSF DMR-1720139), the State of Illinois, and NU. GIWAXS was performed at the APS DND-CAT 5BM-C station, which is supported through E. I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., NU, the Dow Chemical Co., and the NSF funded MRSEC at NU. The use of the APS was supported by DOE-BES (DE-AC02-06CH11357). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 American Chemical Society.",

year = "2021",

month = apr,

day = "28",

doi = "10.1021/jacs.1c01484",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "143",

pages = "6221--6228",

journal = "Journal of the American Chemical Society",

issn = "0002-7863",

publisher = "American Chemical Society",

number = "16",

}

Islam, SM, Sangwan, VK , Bruce Buchholz, D, Wells, SA, Peng, L, Zeng, L, He, Y, Hersam, MC , Ketterson, JB , Marks, TJ , Bedzyk, MJ , Grayson, M & Kanatzidis, MG 2021, 'Amorphous to Crystal Phase Change Memory Effect with Two-Fold Bandgap Difference in Semiconducting K₂Bi₈Se₁₃', Journal of the American Chemical Society, vol. 143, no. 16, pp. 6221-6228. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.1c01484

TY - JOUR

T1 - Amorphous to Crystal Phase Change Memory Effect with Two-Fold Bandgap Difference in Semiconducting K2Bi8Se13

AU - Islam, Saiful M.

AU - Sangwan, Vinod K.

AU - Bruce Buchholz, D.

AU - Wells, Spencer A.

AU - Peng, Lintao

AU - Zeng, Li

AU - He, Yihui

AU - Hersam, Mark C.

AU - Ketterson, John B.

AU - Marks, Tobin J.

AU - Bedzyk, Michael J.

AU - Grayson, Matthew

AU - Kanatzidis, Mercouri G.

N1 - Funding Information: Authors are thankful to the National Science Foundation (NSF) Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) (NSF DMR-1720139). SEM, EDS, TEM, Raman, XPS analyses and XRR were performed at the EPIC facility of the NUANCE Center and J.B. Cohen X-ray diffraction facility at Northwestern University (NU), which is partially supported by the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS-1542205), the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (NSF DMR-1720139), the State of Illinois, and NU. GIWAXS was performed at the APS DND-CAT 5BM-C station, which is supported through E. I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., NU, the Dow Chemical Co., and the NSF funded MRSEC at NU. The use of the APS was supported by DOE-BES (DE-AC02-06CH11357). Publisher Copyright: © 2021 American Chemical Society.

PY - 2021/4/28

Y1 - 2021/4/28

N2 - Chalcogenide-based phase change memory (PCM) is a key enabling technology for optical data storage and electrical nonvolatile memory. Here, we report a new phase change chalcogenide consisting of a 3D network of ionic (K···Se) and covalent bonds (Bi-Se), K2Bi8Se13 (KBS). Thin films of amorphous KBS deposited by DC sputtering are structurally and chemically homogeneous and exhibit a surface roughness of 5 nm. The KBS film crystallizes upon heating at 483 K. The optical bandgap of the amorphous film is about 1.25 eV, while its crystalline phase has a bandgap of ∼0.65 eV shows 2-fold difference between the two states. The bulk electrical conductivity of the amorphous and crystalline film is ∼7.5 × 10-4 and ∼2.7 × 10-2 S/cm, respectively. We have demonstrated a phase change memory effect in KBS by Joule heating in a technologically relevant vertical memory cell architecture. Upon Joule heating, the vertical device undergoes switching from its amorphous to crystalline state of KBS at 1-1.5 V (∼50 kV/cm), increasing conductivity by a factor of ∼40. Besides the large electrical and optical contrast in the crystalline and amorphous KBS, its elemental cost-effectiveness, stoichiometry, fast crystallization kinetics, as determined by the ratio of the glass transition and melting temperature, Tg/Tm ∼0.5, as well as the scalable synthesis of the thin film determine that KBS is a promising PC material for next general phase change memory.

AB - Chalcogenide-based phase change memory (PCM) is a key enabling technology for optical data storage and electrical nonvolatile memory. Here, we report a new phase change chalcogenide consisting of a 3D network of ionic (K···Se) and covalent bonds (Bi-Se), K2Bi8Se13 (KBS). Thin films of amorphous KBS deposited by DC sputtering are structurally and chemically homogeneous and exhibit a surface roughness of 5 nm. The KBS film crystallizes upon heating at 483 K. The optical bandgap of the amorphous film is about 1.25 eV, while its crystalline phase has a bandgap of ∼0.65 eV shows 2-fold difference between the two states. The bulk electrical conductivity of the amorphous and crystalline film is ∼7.5 × 10-4 and ∼2.7 × 10-2 S/cm, respectively. We have demonstrated a phase change memory effect in KBS by Joule heating in a technologically relevant vertical memory cell architecture. Upon Joule heating, the vertical device undergoes switching from its amorphous to crystalline state of KBS at 1-1.5 V (∼50 kV/cm), increasing conductivity by a factor of ∼40. Besides the large electrical and optical contrast in the crystalline and amorphous KBS, its elemental cost-effectiveness, stoichiometry, fast crystallization kinetics, as determined by the ratio of the glass transition and melting temperature, Tg/Tm ∼0.5, as well as the scalable synthesis of the thin film determine that KBS is a promising PC material for next general phase change memory.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85105065741&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85105065741&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1021/jacs.1c01484

DO - 10.1021/jacs.1c01484

M3 - Article

C2 - 33856803

AN - SCOPUS:85105065741

SN - 0002-7863

VL - 143

SP - 6221

EP - 6228

JO - Journal of the American Chemical Society

JF - Journal of the American Chemical Society

IS - 16

ER -