Cell-to-Cell and Cycle-to-Cycle Retention Statistics in Phase-Change Memory Arrays

Author

Rizzi, Maurizio ; Ciocchini, Nicola ; Montefiori, Anna ; Ferro, Massimo ; Fantini, Paolo ; Lacaita, Andrea L. ; Ielmini, Daniele

Author_Institution

Dipt. di ElettronicaInformazione e Bioingegneria, Italian Univ. Nanoelectron. Team, Milan, Italy

Volume

62

Issue

7

fYear

2015

fDate

Jul-15

Firstpage

2205

Lastpage

2211

Abstract

Data retention and its statistics are the key issues for the development of next generation phase-change memory (PCM) arrays. For this reason, the understanding and modeling of cell-to-cell and cycle-to-cycle variabilities of retention time are essential. This paper provides an extensive experimental characterization of retention statistics in 45-nm PCM technology and presents a Monte Carlo model for variability based on a Gaussian spread in the activation energy for crystallization. Results show that both cell-to-cell and cycle-to-cycle variabilities are well explained by a Gaussian spread in the activation energy for crystallization, due to local composition/structure changes in PCM active volume.

Keywords

Monte Carlo methods; crystallisation; phase change memories; Gaussian spread; Monte Carlo model; cell-to-cell retention statistics; crystallization; cycle-to-cycle retention statistics; data retention; phase-change memory arrays; size 45 nm; Arrays; Correlation; Crystallization; Data models; Phase change materials; Shape; Temperature distribution; Array; crystallization; phase-change memory (PCM); retention statistics; variability; variability.;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Devices, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9383

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TED.2015.2434278

Filename

7116542