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Molecular dynamics study of phase change materials♣

J. HEGEDUS1, S. R. ELLIOTT1,*

Affiliation

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK

Abstract

We have simulated, by ab initio molecular dynamics (MD), the entire phase-change (PC) cycle in Ge-Sb-Te (GST) materials. Rapid quenching from the melt results in the formation of the amorphous state but, on slower cooling, the models crystallize into the metastable rocksalt crystalline phase. Thermal annealing of the quenched amorphous models also results in crystallization to the same polymorph. Significant numbers of connected, near-planar 4-membered (square) rings exist in the liquid state, and are quenched into the amorphous solid. The presence of these crystal seeds is responsible for the rapid, homogeneously-nucleated crystallization behaviour characteristic of GST PC memory materials..

Keywords

Phase-change memory materials, Ge-Sb-Te, Ab initio molecular dynamics.

Submitted at: Nov. 5, 2008
Accepted at: Sept. 9, 2009

Citation

J. HEGEDUS, S. R. ELLIOTT, Molecular dynamics study of phase change materials♣, Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials Vol. 11, Iss. 9, pp. 1060-1063 (2009)