Ga46Sb54 Material for Fast Switching and Pb-Free Soldering Reflow Process Complying Phase-Change Memory

The properties of Ga46Sb54 material have been studied with respect to its usefulness for phase-change memory (PCM). An unusual inverse optical contrast where the crystalline phase has lower reflectance than amorphous phase compared to typical phase-change materials was observed. The high crystallization temperature of thin film ensures this material's excellent data retention. This material has been demonstrated to pass 260 degrees C solder reflow thermal cycling as determined from optical laser testing and also prototype PCM device testing. The short SET time of 60 ns realized in Ga46Sb54 devices makes this material very attractive with respect to fast switching and high temperature data retention. (C) 2014 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.