Simulation of novel phase change memory cell with Titanium Nitride heating layer

A novel phase-change memory cell with a heating layer structure (HLS) was proposed in this work. By having an additional Titanium Nitride (TiN) layer under the bottom electrode, the heat loss can be effectively prevented. A three-dimensional finite element model for phase change memory (PCM) is established to simulate thermal and electrical behaviors. Compared with the traditional structure (TS) PCM cell, the simulation results indicate that the HLS has advantages of increasing the heating efficiency and reducing the heat loss. The thermal effect of the access device of PCM is also simulated and the HLS offers a higher driving current because of a higher temperature in the device region. Therefore, the HLS cell will be propitious for developing the PCRAM with low power consumption and high integration.