Multi-layer phase change material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9543510-B2
Application number	US-201313917681-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2013
Priority date	Dec 17, 2010
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A multi-layer phase change material, including: a multi-layer film structure. The multi-layer film structure includes a plurality of periodic units. The periodic units each includes a first single-layer film phase change material and a second single-layer film phase change material. The first single-layer film phase change material and the second single-layer film phase change material are alternately stacked. The first single-layer film phase change material includes chemical components that are different from chemical components included in the second single-layer film phase change material, or the first single-layer film phase change material includes chemical components that are the same as chemical components included in the second single-layer film phase change material and a percent composition of the chemical components included in the first single-layer film phase change material is different from a percent composition of the chemical components included in the second single-layer film phase change material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A multi-layer phase change material, comprising: a multi-layer film structure, said multi-layer film structure comprising a plurality of periodic units, said periodic units each comprising a first single-layer film phase change material and a second single-layer film phase change material, wherein:
said first single-layer film phase change material and said second single-layer film phase change material are alternately stacked and are in contact with each other;
each of said first single-layer film phase change material and said second single-layer film phase change material is changeable from an amorphous state to a crystalline state by a first electric pulse and is changeable from the crystalline state to the amorphous state by a second electric pulse;
said first single-layer film phase change material consists of a first plurality of chemical components;
said second single-layer film phase change material consists of a second plurality of chemical components;
said first plurality of chemical components are the same as said second plurality of chemical components and a percent composition of said first plurality of chemical components is different from a percent composition of said second plurality of chemical components;
a crystal structure of said first single-layer film phase change material and a crystal structure of said second single-layer film phase change material belong to a same lattice system; and
a lattice mismatch between said first single-layer film phase change material and said second single-layer film phase change material is less than 10%.

2. The multi-layer phase change material of claim 1 , wherein said first or said second single-layer film phase change material is a one selected from the group consisting of GeTe, SbTe, BiTe, SnTe, AsTe, GeSe, SbSe, BiSe, SnSe, AsSe, InSe, GeSbTe, and AgInSbTe, or a mixture formed by doping any one thereof with an element of S, N, O, Cu, Si, or Au.

3. The multi-layer phase change material of claim 2 , wherein said first or said second single-layer film phase change material is said mixture formed by doping, and an atomic percentage of the mixed element in said first or said second single-layer film phase change material is between 0.5% and 50%.

4. The multi-layer phase change material of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of said first or said second single-layer film phase change material is between 0.5 nm and 5 nm.

5. The multi-layer phase change material of claim 2 , wherein a thickness of said first or said second single-layer film phase change material is between 0.5 nm and 5 nm.

6. The multi-layer phase change material of claim 3 , wherein a thickness of said first or said second single-layer film phase change material is between 0.5 nm and 5 nm.

7. A sample for testing thermal conductivity of the multi-layer phase change material of claim 1 , the sample comprising two layers made of an electrically insulating and heat conducting material, and a multi-layer phase change material, wherein:
said multi-layer phase change material is disposed between said two layers;
one of said two layers is deposited on a Si substrate; and
a metal strip is deposited on the other of said two layers.

8. The sample of claim 7 , wherein a thermal conductivity of said electrically insulating and heat conducting material is greater than 1 W/mK.

9. The sample of claim 7 , wherein a thickness of said electrically insulating and heat conducting material is between 5 nm and 20 nm.

10. The sample of claim 8 , wherein a thickness of said electrically insulating and heat conducting material is between 5 nm and 20 nm.

11. The sample of claim 7 , wherein the metal strip is I-shaped.

12. The sample of claim 8 , wherein the metal strip is I-shaped.

13. A phase change random access memory, comprising a plurality of memory cells each made of the multi-layer phase change material of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Univ Huazhong Science Tech

Inventors

• Miao Xiangshui
• Tong Hao
• Cheng Xiaomin

Classifications

• H01L45/128

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L45/144

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L45/1625

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L45/142

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L45/145

  Electricity · mapped topic