Crystallization and C-RAM application of Ag-doped Sb2Te3 material

Ag-doped amorphous Sb2Te3 thin films are deposited by RF magnetron sputtering and the crystallization behavior is studied by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), X-ray diffraction and sheet resistance measurements. Both crystallization temperature and polycrystalline state resistance of Sb2Te3 are increased by doping Ag, which is beneficial for enhancing room temperature stability of the polycrystalline state and reducing writing current in chalcogenide random access memory (C-RAM) application, respectively. The crystallization process of Sb2Te3 is broadened with new phases (AgSbTe2 and Ag2Te) formed. And a model is introduced to explain the peak positions in the DSC profiles. Applying the new material in the C-RAM test cell, current–voltage characteristic is studied to confirm its feasibility in device application.