Low-Reset-Current Ring-Confined-Chalcogenide Phase Change Memory

In this study, we proposed a ring-shaped confined chalogenide (RCC) phase change memory (PCM) cell to reduce the reset current compared with a conventional normal bottom contact (NBC) cell and a conventional normal confined chalogenide (CC) cell. The finite element analysis of the proposed RCC cell was systematically conducted depending on the radius of the center SiO 2 cylinder, surrounded by the phase change material. The highest temperature at different programming currents markedly increases by increasing the radius of the SiO 2 cylinder. On the basis of the simulated relationships between the cell resistance and the programming current, it was demonstrated that the derived reset current of the RCC cell can be reduced to 41% of that of the conventional NBC PCM cell.