Chemical bonding in phase-change chalcogenides

Abstract

Almost all phase-change memory materials (PCM) contain chalcogen atoms, and their chemical bonds have been denoted both as ‘electron-deficient’ [sometimes referred to as ‘metavalent’] and ‘electron-rich’ [‘hypervalent’, multicentre]. The latter involve lone-pair electrons. We have performed calculations that can discriminate unambiguously between these two classes of bond and have shown that PCM have electron-rich, 3c–4e (‘hypervalent’) bonds. Plots of charge transferred between (ET) and shared with (ES) neighbouring atoms cannot on their own distinguish between ‘metavalent’ and ‘hypervalent’ bonds, both of which involve single-electron bonds. PCM do not exhibit ‘metavalent’ bonding and are not electron-deficient; the bonding is electron-rich of the ‘hypervalent’ or multicentre type.