Crystallization dynamics of nitrogen-doped Ge₂Sb ₂Te₅

The crystallization of amorphous Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) doped with nitrogen is studied with pulsed laser heating. The crystallization time of sputter-deposited films is increased by doping by as much as 100× for nitrogen concentrations of the order of 12 at. % in as-deposited amorphous films. Suppression of the formation of critical crystal nuclei is found to be responsible. The crystallization of melt-quenched amorphous material is also slowed by doping but less dramatically. © 2009 American Institute of Physics.