Abstract
Structural relaxation of amorphous phase-change-memory materials has been attributed to defect-state annihilation from the band gap, leading to a time-dependent drift in the electrical resistance, which hinders the development of multi-level memory devices with increased data-storage density. In this computational study, homogeneous electric fields have been applied, by utilizing a Berry-phase approach with hybrid-density-functional-theory simulations, to ascertain their effect on the atomic and electronic structures associated with the mid-gap states in models of the prototypical glassy phase-change material, Ge2Sb2Te5. Above a threshold value, electric fields remove spatially localized defects from the band gap and transform them into delocalized conduction-band-edge electronic states. A lowering of the nearest-neighbor coordination of Ge atoms in the local environment of the defect-host motif is observed, accompanied by a breaking of 4-fold rings. This engineered structural relaxation, through electric-field tuning of electronic and geometric properties in the amorphous phase, paves the way to the design of optimized glasses.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.