Electric Field Induced Memory Switching in Thin Films of the Chalcogenide System Ge–As–Se

A bistable switching has been observed in amorphous films of semiconducting glasses in the system Ge–As–Se in the thickness range 0.3–3 μm. The absence of a heat-induced devitrification and energy production considerations for switching showed that Joule heat produced while switching plays only a minor role in these glasses. Hence, the observed memory action has been attributed to an electric field induced phase transition along a filamentary path in the glass film.