Endurance improvement of Ge₂Sb₂Te₅-based phase change memory

Abstract

We describe a cycling failure mode in Ge2Sb2Te 5-based Phase Change Memory, based on density difference of GST in different phases and the SET/RESET thermal operations. Voids that develop and merge with each other within GST programming volume after cycling eventually lead to cell failure. By adding suitable amount of doping material into GST, we are able to delay this void formation process and to significantly improve the cell endurance to more than 109 cycles. ©2009 IEEE.