Simulation of Phase-Change Random Access Memory with Ring-Type Contactor for Low Reset Current by Finite Element Modelling

A three-dimensional finite element models for phase change random access memory （PCRAM） is established to simulate thermal and electrical behaviours during RESET operation. The RESET behaviours of the conventional structure （CS） and the ring-type contact in bottom electrode （RIB） are compared with each other. The simulation results indicate that the RIB cell has advantages of high heat efficiency for melting phase change material in cell, reduction of contact area and lower RESET current with maintaining good resistance contrast. The RESET current decreases from 1.26mA to 1.2mA and the heat consumption in CST material during programming increases from 12% to 37% in RIB structure. Thus the RIB structure PCRAM cell is suitable for future device with high heat efficiency and smaller RESET current.     

Three-Dimensional Simulations of RESET Operation in Phase-Change Random Access Memory with Blade-Type Like Phase Change Layer by Finite Element Modeling

An optimized device structure for reducing the RESET current of phase-change random access memory(PCRAM)with blade-type like(BTL) phase change layer is proposed.The electrical thermal analysis of the BTL cell and the blade heater contactor structure by three-dimensional finite element modeling are compared with each other during RESET operation.The simulation results show that the programming region of the phase change layer in the BTL cell is much smaller,and thermal electrical distributions of the BTL cell are more concentrated on the TiN/GST interface.The results indicate that the BTL cell has the superiorities of increasing the heating efficiency,decreasing the power consumption and reducing the RESET current from 0.67 mA to 0.32 mA.Therefore,the BTL cell will be appropriate for high performance PCRAM device with lower power consumption and lower RESET current.     

Simulation of Voltage SET Operation in Phase-Change Random Access Memories with Heater Addition and Ring-Type Contactor for Low-Power Consumption by Finite Element Modeling

A three-dimensional finite element model for phase change random access memory is established to simulate electric, thermal and phase state distribution during （SET） operation. The model is applied to simulate the SET behaviors of the heater addition structure （HS） and the ring-type contact in the bottom electrode （RIB） structure. The simulation results indicate that the small bottom electrode contactor （BEC） is beneficial for heat efficiency and reliability in the HS cell, and the bottom electrode contactor with size Fx=80 nm is a good choice for the RIB cell. Also shown is that the appropriate SET pulse time is lOOns for the low power consumption and fast operation.     

Performance improvement of amorphous indium–gallium–zinc oxide ReRAM with SiO2 inserting layer

In this study, the resistive switching performance of amorphous indium–gallium–zinc oxide (a-IGZO) resistive switching random-access memory (ReRAM) was improved by inserting a thin silicon oxide layer between silver (Ag) top electrode and a-IGZO resistive switching layer. Compared with the single a-IGZO layer structure, the SiO₂/a-IGZO bi-layer structure exhibits the higher On/Off resistance ratio larger than 10³, and the lower operation power using a smaller SET compliance current. In addition, good endurance and excellent retention characteristics were achieved. Furthermore, multilevel resistance states are obtained through adjusting SET compliance current and RESET stop voltage, which shows a promise for high-performance nonvolatile multilevel memory application.     

Analysis of tail bits generation of multilevel storage in resistive switching memory

The tail bits of intermediate resistance states(IRSs) achieved in the SET process(IRSS) and the RESET process(IRSR) of conductive-bridge random-access memory were investigated. Two types of tail bits were observed, depending on the filament morphology after the SET/RESET operation.(i) Tail bits resulting from lateral diffusion of Cu ions introduced an abrupt increase of device resistance from IRS to ultrahigh-resistance state, which mainly happened in IRSS.(ii) Tail bits induced by the vertical diffusion of Cu ions showed a gradual shift of resistance toward lower value. Statistical results show that more than 95% of tail bits are generated in IRSS. To achieve a reliable IRS for multilevel cell(MLC) operation, it is desirable to program the IRS in RESET operation. The mechanism of tail bit generation that is disclosed here provides a clear guideline for the data retention optimization of MLC resistive random-access memory cells.     

Si doping in Ge<Subscript>2</Subscript>Sb<Subscript>2</Subscript>Te<Subscript>5</Subscript> film to reduce the writing current of phase change memory

The characteristics of phase change memory devices in size of several micrometers and with pure Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (GST), N-doped GST, and Si-doped GST films were investigated and compared with each other. The Si-doped GST device can perform SET and RESET cycles, even if the Si dopant is as small as 4.1 at. %. But the GST and N-doped GST device cannot perform the RESET process, though the SET state resistance of N-doped device is almost the same as that of Si-doped device and larger than that of GST device. In order to explain this phenomenon, the electrical and DSC characteristics of three kinds of films were investigated. Phase separation was found in Si-doped GST films. The reason of the RESET ability of Si-doped GST devices is supposed to be the existence of rich Si phases which act as micro-heaters. Thermal conduction simulations confirmed this supposition and indicate that the separated high resistance phase (rich Si phase) can heat the active volume of device efficiently and reduce the writing current largely. PACS 71.55.Gs; 71.55.Jv; 74.81.Bd; 85.30-z     

Polarity-Free Resistive Switching Characteristics of CuxO Films for Non-volatile Memory Applications

Resistive switching characteristics of CuxO films grown by plasma oxidation process at room temperature are investigated. Both bipolar and unipolar stable resistive switching behaviours are observed and confirmed by repeated current voltage measurements. It is found that the RESET current is dependent on SET compliance current. The mechanism behind this new phenomenon can be understood in terms of conductive filaments formation/rupture with the contribution of Joule heating.     

RIBLL束流诊断

描述了兰州放射性离子次级束流线(RIBLL)上研制并安装使用的放射性束流(RIB)诊断装置的种类、结构、性能及在AIBLL上的位置和功能.重点叙述了以光纤为基础的几种诊断元件,它们探测效率高、响应时间快、制作容易、性能稳定.给出了RIB¹⁷N等高图,说明诊断装置辅助MBLL得到RIB的水平.     

基于Si掺杂Sb2Te3薄膜的相变存储器研究

采用磁控三靶(Si，Sb及Te)共溅射法制备了Si掺杂Sb₂Te₃薄膜，作为对比，制备了Ge₂Sb₂Te₅和Sb₂Te₃薄膜，并且采用微加工工艺制备了单元尺寸为10μm×10μm的存储器件原型来研究器件性能.研究表明，Si掺杂提高了Sb₂Te₃薄膜的晶化温度以及薄膜的晶态和非晶态电阻率，使得其非晶态与晶态电阻率之比达到10⁶，提高了器件的电阻开/关比；同Ge₂Sb₂Te₅薄膜相比，16at% Si掺杂Sb₂Te₃薄膜具有较低的熔点和更高的晶态电阻率，这有利于降低器件的RESET电流.研究还表明，采用16at% Si掺杂Sb₂Te₃薄膜作为存储介质的存储器器件原型具有记忆开关特性，可以在脉高3V、脉宽500ns的电脉冲下实现SET操作，在脉高4V、脉宽20ns的电脉冲下实现RESET操作，并能实现反复写/擦，而采用Ge₂Sb₂Te₅薄膜的相同结构的器件不能实现RESET操作. 关键词： 相变存储器 硫系化合物 2Te₃薄膜')" href="#">Si掺杂Sb₂Te₃薄膜 SET/RESET转变     

Thermochemical resistive switching: materials,mechanisms, and scaling projections

In this article, resistive switching based on the thermochemical mechanism (TCM) is reviewed. This mechanism is observed when thermochemical redox processes dominate over electrochemical processes. As the switching is based on thermal effects, it is inherently unipolar, i.e., the transitions between the resistive states can be induced by the same bias voltage polarity. NiO has emerged as a “model material” for resistive switching based on the TCM effect and the discussion of the resistance states and the switching processes are focused on this material with the appropriate electrodes, mainly Pt. Unipolar switching is unambiguously filamentary. Conductive filaments are formed during the electroforming process needed prior to memory switching. The SET operation is interpreted as a sequence of threshold switching and subsequent Joule heating which triggers local redox reactions in which oxygen deficient NiO and, if the amount of released oxygen exceeds a certain amount, also metallic Ni will form. The RESET transition can be described as a thermally activated solid-state process resulting in a local decrease of the metallic Ni species. In terms of operation and reliability, a trade-off between RESET current reduction and retention was experimentally found. This is due to the decreasing long-term stability of the filaments with decreasing size. In addition, the scaling projection of a TCM-based memory technology with NiO is directly related to RESET currents and the availability of appropriate select devices.     

Enhanced bipolar resistive switching of HfO2 with a Ti interlayer

The characteristics of resistive switching of TiN/HfO₂/Ti/HfO₂/Pt/Ti stacks on SiO₂/Si substrates were investigated and compared to TiN/HfO₂/Pt/Ti stacks in order to study Ti interlayer effects on resistive switching. The Ti interlayers were deposited in situ during the reactive sputtering of HfO₂ films. The current–voltage measurements showed that the Ti interlayers enhanced the memory window but reduced the endurance of SET/RESET operations. The energy filtered images by TEM showed asymmetric oxygen accumulation at the Ti/HfO _x interfaces. Subsequent heat treatment improved the endurance of SET/RESET operation of TiN/HfO₂/Ti/HfO₂/Pt/Ti stacks.     

Thermophoresis/diffusion as a plausible mechanism for unipolar resistive switching in metal–oxide–metal memristors

We show that the SET operation of a unipolar memristor could be explained by thermophoresis, or the Soret effect, which is the diffusion of atoms, ions or vacancies in a steep temperature gradient. This mechanism explains the observed resistance switching via conducting channel formation and dissolution reported for TiO₂ and other metal-oxide-based unipolar resistance switches. Depending on the temperature profile in a device, dilute vacancies can preferentially diffuse radially inward toward higher temperatures caused by the Joule heating of an electronic current to essentially condense and form a conducting channel. The RESET operation occurs via radial diffusion of vacancies away from the channel when the temperature is elevated but the gradient is small.     

Reversible Resistance Switching Effect in Amorphous Ge1Sb4Te7 Thin Films without Phase Transformation

We demonstrate a reversible resistance switching effect that does not rely on amorphous-crystalline phase transformation in a nanoscale capacitor-like cell using Ge1Sb4Te7 films as the working material. The polarity and amplitude of the applied electric voltage switches the cell resistance between low- and high-resistance states, as revealed in the current-voltage characteristics of the film by conductive atomic force microscopy （CAFM）. This reversible SET/RESET switching effect is induced by voltage pulses and their polarity. The change of electrical resistance due to the switching effect is approximately two orders of magnitude.     

The absence of physical aging effects on the relaxation of rubbing-induced birefringence in polystyrene

We found, through extensive experimental studies, that the physical aging effects are absent in the relaxation of rubbing-induced birefringence (RIB) in polystyrene (PS), and the relaxation involves very small length scale. A phenomenological model based on individual birefringence elements is proposed for the RIB relaxation. The relaxation times (RTs) of the elements are found to be independent of the thermal or stress history of the samples, either before or after the formation of the birefringence. The RTs are also independent of the molecular weight, rubbing conditions, and film thickness, while the RTs distribution function does depend on the molecular weight and rubbing conditions. The model provides quantitative interpretations that agree very well with all the reported experimental results, and sheds important light on the novel behaviors of the RIB relaxation. The absence of physical aging effects is probably due to the combined effects of small length scale of the RIB relaxation, and the accelerated aging speed in the near surface region in which the RIB concentrates.     

Asymmetric resistive switching processes in W:AlO_x/WO_y bilayer devices

Asymmetric resistive switching processes were observed in W:Al O x/WO y bilayer RRAM devices. During pulse programming measurements, the RESET speed is in the range of hundreds of microseconds under-1.1 V bias, while the SET speed is in the range of tens of nanoseconds under 1.2 V bias. Electrical measurements with different pulse conditions and different temperatures were carried out to understand these significant differences in switching time. A redox reaction model in the W:Al O x/WO y device structure is proposed to explain this switching time difference.     

Reconstruction in image space using basis functions for partially parallel imaging

General theory of a new reconstruction technique for partially parallel imaging (PPI) is presented in this study. Reconstruction in Image space using Basis functions (RIB) is based on the general principle that the PPI reconstruction in image space can be represented by a pixel-wise weighted summation of the aliased images directly from undersampled data. By assuming that these weighting coefficients for unaliasing can be approximated from the linear combination of a few predefined basis functions, RIB is capable of reconstructing the image within an arbitrary region. This paper discusses the general theory of RIB and its relationship to the classical reconstruction method, GRAPPA. The presented experiments demonstrate RIB with several MRI applications. It is shown that the performance of RIB is comparable to that of GRAPPA. In some cases, RIB shows advantages of increasing reconstruction efficiency, suppressing artifacts and alleviating the nonuniformity of noise distribution. It is anticipated that RIB would be especially useful for cardiac and prostate imaging, where the field of view during data acquisition is required to be much larger than the region of interest.     

Relaxation times and energy barriers of rubbing-induced birefringence in glass-forming polymers

The relaxations of rubbing-induced birefringence (RIB) in several glass-forming polymers, including polycarbonate and polystyrene (PS) derivatives with various modifications to the phenyl ring side group, are studied. Significant relaxations of RIB are observed at temperatures well below the glass transition temperature T _g . The relaxation times span a wide range from ∼ 10 s to probably geological time scale. Physical aging effects are absent in the RIB relaxations. The model proposed for the interpretation of RIB in PS describes well the RIB relaxations in all the polymers investigated here. The energy barriers are of the order of a few hundred kJ/mol and decrease with decreasing temperature, in opposition to the trend of Vogel-Fulcher form for polymer segmental relaxations above T _g . The relaxation behaviors of different polymers are qualitatively similar but somewhat different in quantitative details, such as in the values of the saturated birefringence, the shape of the initial barrier density distribution functions, the rates of barrier decrease with decreasing temperature, and the dependence of relaxation times on temperature and parameter , etc. The RIB relaxations are different from any of the other relaxations below T _g that have been reported in the literature, such as dielectric relaxations or optical probe relaxations. A microscopic model for the relaxations of RIB is much desired.     

AlGaInP大功率发光二极管发光效率与结温的关系

目前,AlGaInP大功率发光二极管(LED)存在的主要问题是大电流工作时发热严重,主要是由于电流扩展不均匀、出光面电极对光子的阻挡和吸收以及器件材料与空气折射率之间的差距引起的全反射现象,这些因素造成大功率LED出光受到限制、发光效率低、亮度不高.提出了一种复合电流扩展层和复合分布式布拉格反射层(DBR)的新型结构LED,使得注入电流在有源区充分地扩散,同时提高了常规单DBR对光子的反射率.结果显示,这种新型结构LED比常规结构LED的性能得到了很大的提升,350 mA注入电流下两者的输出光功率分别为4 关键词： 复合电流扩展层 复合分布式布拉格反射层 出光效率 结温     

兰州放射性束流线

兰州放射性束流线（RIBLL）是产生中能重离子放射性束流（RIB）的装置和高精度放射性束物理的实验谱仪．RIBLL的立体角接收度＞65msr、动量接收度达10％;RIBLL可提供极化RIB;RIBLL采用大接收度双消色差反对称结构,既可纯化放射性束,还可作为0°磁谱仪． Radioactive Ion Beam Line in Lanzhou (RIBLL) is a facility to produce intermediate energy radioactive ion beams (RIB), and also a high precision spectrometer for RIB physical experiments. The solid angle acceptance of RIBLL is 6. 5 msr. The momentum acceptance is about 10%. The polarized RIBs will be available. RIBLL is the equipment with double achromatic and asymmetric structure. So that it can not only sublimate the RIBs in pureness, but also operate as 0° magnet spectrometer.     

Universal memory based on phase-change materials: From phase-change random access memory to optoelectronic hybrid storage

The era of information explosion is coming and information need to be continuously stored and randomly accessed over long-term periods, which constitute an insurmountable challenge for existing data centers. At present, computing devices use the von Neumann architecture with separate computing and memory units, which exposes the shortcomings of “memory bottleneck”. Nonvolatile memristor can realize data storage and in-memory computing at the same time and promises to overcome this bottleneck. Phase-change random access memory (PCRAM) is called one of the best solutions for next generation non-volatile memory. Due to its high speed, good data retention, high density, low power consumption, PCRAM has the broad commercial prospects in the in-memory computing application. In this review, the research progress of phase-change materials and device structures for PCRAM, as well as the most critical performances for a universal memory, such as speed, capacity, and power consumption, are reviewed. By comparing the advantages and disadvantages of phase-change optical disk and PCRAM, a new concept of optoelectronic hybrid storage based on phase-change material is proposed. Furthermore, its feasibility to replace existing memory technologies as a universal memory is also discussed as well.