Changing the Face of Phase Change Memory with Sb₂Te₃/TiTe₂ Superlattices

As the research on phase change memory (PCM) gains more momentum due to a growing range of possible applications, some issues with their implementation still remain. Two of these issues, slow crystallization and energy loss due to heat diffusion, can be tackled by creating a chalcogenide superlattice. This structure consists of alternating layers of phase change material and a confinement material. To gain a deeper understanding of the effect of this structure on the PCM properties, the Sb2Te3/TiTe2 superlattice is studied as a stepping stone to other confinement materials. In situ X-ray diffraction is used to evaluate the deposition and the thermal stability of these materials. To study the heatflow in this structure, time-domain thermoreflectance (TDTR) is used. Finally, a methodology is presented to evaluate the functional effect of the superlattice using optical switching.