The effect of interfaces on phase change memory switching
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- With faster read and write speeds than NAND Flash and higher densities than DRAM, emerging storage class memories (SCMs) are an exciting new addition to the modern storage/memory hierarchy. Additionally, SCMs show significant promise in helping solve the computing bottleneck, commonly known as the "memory wall, " where computation speed is limited by memory rather than logic. Among the emerging SCMs, phase change memory has been the first to "emerge" with commercial products, such as Intel and Micron's 3D XPoint, now being available to consumers. PCM relies on a resistive storage material that can be reversibly switched through Joule heating in crystallization and melt-quench processes. However, due to the thermal nature of PCM's switching, achieving energy efficient writing is challenging. In an effort to alleviate this problem, we take an interface focused approach starting with finite element modeling. From modeling, we determine that significant current and energy benefits can be achieved by increasing both the thermal and electrical resistivity of the interface between the confined electrode and the phase change material. To realize these benefits, we fabricate devices with thin TiN interfacial layers in order to increase the electrical contact resistance. Unfortunately, this approach is met with limited success so we next move on to using two-dimensional (2D) materials, a class of atomically thin materials that allows us to reach the limits of interface engineering. After fabricating devices with two of these materials, graphene and molybdenum disulfide, we find that the latter shows a 40% reduction in the current required to reset.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic resource; remote; computer; online resource |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Place | California |
| Place | [Stanford, California] |
| Publisher | [Stanford University] |
| Copyright date | 2019; ©2019 |
| Publication date | 2019; 2019 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Neumann, Christopher Michael |
|---|---|
| Degree supervisor | Wong, Hon-Sum Philip, 1959- |
| Thesis advisor | Wong, Hon-Sum Philip, 1959- |
| Thesis advisor | Pop, Eric |
| Thesis advisor | Saraswat, Krishna |
| Degree committee member | Pop, Eric |
| Degree committee member | Saraswat, Krishna |
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Electrical Engineering |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|---|
| Genre | Text |
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Christopher Michael Neumann. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Electrical Engineering. |
| Thesis | Thesis Ph.D. Stanford University 2019. |
| Location | https://purl.stanford.edu/rq703nq8223 |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2019 by Christopher Michael Neumann
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
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