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The role of arsenic in the operation of sulfur-based electrical threshold switches

Author

Listed:
  • Renjie Wu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Rongchuan Gu

    (Huazhong University of Science and Technology)

  • Tamihiro Gotoh

    (Gunma University)

  • Zihao Zhao

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yuting Sun

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Shujing Jia

    (Fudan University)

  • Xiangshui Miao

    (Huazhong University of Science and Technology)

  • Stephen R. Elliott

    (University of Cambridge
    University of Oxford)

  • Min Zhu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Ming Xu

    (Huazhong University of Science and Technology)

  • Zhitang Song

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

Arsenic is an essential dopant in conventional silicon-based semiconductors and emerging phase-change memory (PCM), yet the detailed functional mechanism is still lacking in the latter. Here, we fabricate chalcogenide-based ovonic threshold switching (OTS) selectors, which are key units for suppressing sneak currents in 3D PCM arrays, with various As concentrations. We discovered that incorporation of As into GeS brings >100 °C increase in crystallization temperature, remarkably improving the switching repeatability and prolonging the device lifetime. These benefits arise from strengthened As-S bonds and sluggish atomic migration after As incorporation, which reduces the leakage current by more than an order of magnitude and significantly suppresses the operational voltage drift, ultimately enabling a back-end-of-line-compatible OTS selector with >12 MA/cm2 on-current, ~10 ns speed, and a lifetime approaching 1010 cycles after 450 °C annealing. These findings allow the precise performance control of GeSAs-based OTS materials for high-density 3D PCM applications.

Suggested Citation

  • Renjie Wu & Rongchuan Gu & Tamihiro Gotoh & Zihao Zhao & Yuting Sun & Shujing Jia & Xiangshui Miao & Stephen R. Elliott & Min Zhu & Ming Xu & Zhitang Song, 2023. "The role of arsenic in the operation of sulfur-based electrical threshold switches," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-41643-6
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41643-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wondwosen Metaferia & Kevin L. Schulte & John Simon & Steve Johnston & Aaron J. Ptak, 2019. "Publisher Correction: Gallium arsenide solar cells grown at rates exceeding 300 µm h−1 by hydride vapor phase epitaxy," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-1, December.
    2. Konstantinos Konstantinou & Felix C. Mocanu & Tae-Hoon Lee & Stephen R. Elliott, 2019. "Revealing the intrinsic nature of the mid-gap defects in amorphous Ge2Sb2Te5," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Wondwosen Metaferia & Kevin L. Schulte & John Simon & Steve Johnston & Aaron J. Ptak, 2019. "Gallium arsenide solar cells grown at rates exceeding 300 µm h−1 by hydride vapor phase epitaxy," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-8, December.
    4. Shujing Jia & Huanglong Li & Tamihiro Gotoh & Christophe Longeaud & Bin Zhang & Juan Lyu & Shilong Lv & Min Zhu & Zhitang Song & Qi Liu & John Robertson & Ming Liu, 2020. "Ultrahigh drive current and large selectivity in GeS selector," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-9, December.
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