Ga14Sb86 film for ultralong data retention phase-change memory

Ga14Sb86 film has been studied to explore its suitability as a novel active material for phase change memory application. With a crystallization temperature about 220 degrees C, Ga14Sb86 film has the activation energy of crystallization larger than 4.6 eV obtained both by nonisothermal and isothermal methods. This leads to an ultralong data retention, which is characterized by the temperature for ten years data retention at 162 degrees C. The reversible phase change can be realized by a pulse as short as 20 ns. Ga14Sb86-based cell shows a good endurance up to 3.2x10(5) SET-RESET cycles during endurance test. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3563067]