Chalcogenide Resistive Memory with Selenium or Tellurium for Low Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current phase-change memory devices using germanium-antimony-tellurium (GST) as variable resistive material suffer from slow transition speed and high reset current due to high melting temperature, necessitating a material with faster transition speed and lower reset current.
Innovation Solution
Employing chalcogenide compounds with selenium (Se) or tellurium (Te) at 10 to 60 wt% as the variable resistive material, such as Sn-Sb-Se, Sn-Sb-Te, and Ge-Sb-Se, which exhibit lower power consumption, faster transition speed, and improved thermal stability, enabling high-speed operation with reduced reset current.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If germanium-antimony-tellurium (GST) is used as variable resistive material, then the memory device can store data by changing crystalline state, but the transition speed between crystalline and amorphous states is low and reset current is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material composition parameters by incorporating selenium or tellurium at 10-60 atomic weight percent in the chalcogenide compound, which fundamentally alters the phase transition characteristics to achieve faster transition speeds and lower reset currents compared to conventional GST materials
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite chalcogenide compounds combining multiple elements (such as Ge-Sb-Se, Sn-Sb-Te, or In-Sb-Se) to achieve synergistic effects that simultaneously improve transition speed and reduce reset current requirements, overcoming the limitations of single-component GST materials
2Reliability
If GST is used as variable resistive material, then data storage is achieved through phase change, but the melting temperature is high requiring high reset current
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the thermal properties of the variable resistive material by adjusting the compositional parameters of the chalcogenide compound, specifically incorporating 10-60 atomic weight percent selenium or tellurium, which lowers the melting temperature and phase transition temperature while maintaining reliable data storage capability through controlled crystalline-amorphous transitions
3Productivity
If conventional variable resistive material is used, then the device structure is simple, but the operation speed is low and power consumption is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the compositional parameters of the chalcogenide compound with specific selenium or tellurium content (10-60 atomic weight percent), which changes the electrical and thermal transport properties to enable faster operation speeds and reduced power consumption while maintaining the relatively simple device structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality improvement by optimizing the material composition specifically in the variable resistive material layer, allowing the rest of the device structure to remain simple while achieving superior operation speed and power efficiency through localized material enhancement
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The use of chalcogenide compounds with Se or Te content between 10 to 60 wt% enhances the operational speed and reduces power consumption, making them suitable for high-speed and highly integrated multi-level cell-type resistive memory devices without disturbances between adjacent cells.
Implementation Method 1
a data storage node heated by the lower electrode and including a chalcogenide compound
Implementation Method 2
The phase-change memory device stores data by changing a crystalline state of the variable resistive material when current is applied to the lower electrode
Data Source
AI summary
A resistive memory device operable with low power consumption and a memory apparatus and data processing system including the same are provided. The resistive memory includes a chalcogenide compound containing 10 to 60 wt % (atomic weight) of selenium (Se) or tellurium (Te).