Lower Voltage Operation of a Phase Change Memory Device with a Highly Resistive TiON Layer

The electrical switching behaviors of an offset-type phase change memory device with a highly resistive TiON layer were investigated, where the TiON layer (7 nm thick) was formed at a 70 nm wide contact between Ge1Sb2Te4 and TiN layers. Reversible transitions between crystalline (set) and amorphous (reset) phases were found to occur at relatively lower reset and set voltages, as compared with a device having no TiON layer. These results hold a high promise for a low-power operation of a phase change memory device.