Picosecond electric-field-induced threshold switching in phase-change materials

Abstract

Many chalcogenide glasses undergo a breakdown in electronic resistance above a critical field strength. Known as threshold switching, this mechanism enables field-induced crystallization in emerging phase-change memory. Purely electronic as well as crystal nucleation assisted models have been employed to explain the electronic breakdown. Here, picosecond electric pulses are used to excite amorphous Ag${}_4$In${}_3$Sb${}_{67}$Te${}_{26}$. Field-dependent reversible changes in conductivity and pulse-driven crystallization are observed. The present results show that threshold switching can take place within the electric pulse on sub-picosecond time-scales - faster than crystals can nucleate. This supports purely electronic models of threshold switching and reveals potential applications as an ultrafast electronic switch.

arXiv comment6 pages manuscript with 3 figures and 8 pages supplementary material

References in corpus (4)

• Phase change memory technology
• Modeling of a Cantilever-Based Near-Field Scanning Microwave Microscope
• Nonlinear terahertz metamaterials via field-enhanced carrier dynamics in GaAs
• Hierarchy of Electronic Properties of Chemically Derived and Pristine Graphene Probed by Microwave Imaging

Cited by in corpus (5)

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• Zener Tunneling Breakdown in Phase-Change Materials Revealed by Intense Terahertz Pulses
• In depth nano spectroscopic analysis on homogeneously switching double barrier memristive devices
• Theoretical and Simulation Study of 'Comb' Electron beam and THz generation
• Dynamic surface tension of the pure liquid-vapor interface subjected to the cyclic loads