1. Local structure of [(GeTe)(2)/(Sb2Te3)(m)](n)super-lattices by x-ray absorption spectroscopy
- Author
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Philippe Kowalczyk, Francesco d'Acapito, C. Sabbione, Jean-Yves Raty, Pierre Noé, Françoise Hippert, Laboratoire des matériaux et du génie physique (LMGP ), Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP ), and Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)
- Subjects
Materials science ,Acoustics and Ultrasonics ,Absorption spectroscopy ,Chalcogenide ,Superlattice ,Ab initio ,02 engineering and technology ,x-ray absorption spectroscopy ,01 natural sciences ,Molecular physics ,Spectral line ,lisa ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,chalcogenide ,0103 physical sciences ,super-lattice ,Thin film ,ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS ,010302 applied physics ,X-ray absorption spectroscopy ,interfacial phase-change memory ,Extended X-ray absorption fine structure ,[CHIM.MATE]Chemical Sciences/Material chemistry ,GeTe ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Condensed Matter Physics ,Surfaces, Coatings and Films ,Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials ,chemistry ,extended x-ray absorption fine structure ,0210 nano-technology ,Sb2Te3 - Abstract
Herein, the local structure of [(GeTe)(2)/(Sb2Te3)(m)](n)chalcogenide super-lattices (SLs), which are at the basis of emerging interfacial Phase-Change Memory (iPCM), is studied by x-ray absoprtion spectroscopy at the Ge-K edge. The quantitative analysis of the first coordination shells reveals that the SLs possess a structure very similar to that of thin film of the canonical Ge2Sb2Te5(GST225) phase-change alloy. By comparing experimental data withab initiomolecular dynamics simulations of the extended x-ray absorption fine structure spectra, we show that chemical disorder is mandatory in order to reproduce the experimental data in the full spectral range. As a result, we can unambiguously conclude that Ge/Sb intermixing resulting from inter-diffusion of the GeTe and Sb(2)Te(3)layers within SLs is inherent to SLs and is not induced by sample preparation method nor by interaction with the electron beam of electron microscopes used in all the previous studies that were suggesting such a phenomenon. We further evidence that the short Ge-Te distance is the same in GeTe and GST225 films, as well as in SLs. The main difference is the impact of disorder in GST225 and SLs. Intermixing being definitively present in [(GeTe)(2)/(Sb2Te3)(m)](n)SLs, this parameter must be considered in future models aiming at going further in the understanding and the development of iPCM technology. This seems mandatory in order to allow such technology to emerge in the near future on the non-volatile memory market.
- Published
- 2020
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