Atomistic simulations of Ge-rich GeSbTe for phase change electronic memories

Amorphous Ge-rich GeSbTe (GGST) alloys are emerging as promising materials for embedded phase-change memories thanks to their higher crystallization temperature of interest for applications in the automotive sector. GGSTs decompose into pure Ge and less GGST alloys upon crystallization which raises the stability of the amorphous phase but also gives rise to some drawbacks such as a drift of the electrical resistance with time in the resulting crystalline state. The details of the transformation process are, however, largely unknown. In this seminar, we report on a theoretical study based on density functional theory of the possible decomposition pathways of GGST.