Extremely High Contrast Multi-Level Resistance States of In3SbTe2 Device for High Density Non-Volatile Memory Applications

Abstract

Current-controlled promotion of crystallization offers stable multi-level resistances after threshold switching process which are being exploited for multi-bit phase change memory applications. In this paper, ultra-high contrast multi-level resistance characteristics of In3SbTe2 device is demonstrated by the means of systematically varying the current-controlled crystallization process for a wide range of currents starting from few μA to 40 μA and the corresponding resistance levels ranging from 10 MΩ to 10 kΩ, respectively. Also, the conduction process in the amorphous phase and the stability of multiple resistance levels have been analyzed using trap-limited sub-threshold electrical transport models, and the effective crystalline thicknesses of various resistance states were estimated. Furthermore, a systematic increment of programming current unfolds more than eight discrete stable resistive states with a remarkably larger programming margin (∼570 times) between amorphous and crystalline (set) state revealing the extraordinary multi-bit programming capabilities of In3SbTe2 device for high-density data storage applications. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim