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Phase change random access memory appears to be the strongestcandidatefor next-generation high density nonvolatile memory. The fabricationof ultrahigh density phase change memory (≫1 Gb) depends heavilyon the thin film growth technique for the phase changing chalcogenidematerial, most typically containing Ge, Sb and Te (Ge–Sb–Te).Atomic layer deposition (ALD) at low temperatures is the most preferredgrowth method for depositing such complex materials over surfacespossessing extreme topology. In this study, [(CH3)3Si]2Te and stable alkoxy-Ge (Ge(OCH3)4) and alkoxy-Sb (Sb(OC2H5)3) metal–organic precursors were used to deposit variouslayers with compositions lying on the GeTe2–Sb2Te3tie lines at a substrate temperature as lowas 70 °C using a thermal ALD process. The adsorption of Ge precursorwas proven to be a physisorption type while other precursors showeda chemisorption behavior. However, the adsorption of Ge precursorwas still self-regulated, and the facile ALD of the pseudobinary solidsolutions with composition (GeTe2)(1-x)(Sb2Te3)xwereachieved. This chemistry-specific ALD process was quite robust againstprocess variations, allowing highly conformal, smooth, and reproduciblefilm growth over a contact hole structure with an extreme geometry.The detailed ALD behavior of binary compounds and incorporation behaviorsof the binary compounds in pseudobinary solid solutions were studiedin detail. This new composition material showed reliable phase changeand accompanying resistance switching behavior, which were slightlybetter than the standard Ge2Sb2Te5material in the nanoscale. The local chemical environment was similarto that of conventional Ge2Sb2Te5materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A phase change memory cell was fabricated by stacking plasma-enhanced cyclic chemical-vapor-deposited Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) and atomic layer deposited TiO2 thin films. Different pairs of resistance states were obtained by controlling the current flow, which can be used to achieve higher memory density by multilevel operation. The multiresistance states of the stacked cell were explained by the resistance switching phenomena of TiO2 and the thermoelectric phase change properties of GST. The phase change characteristics of GST could be altered by controlling the degree of filament formation in the TiO2 layer, which eventually changed the phase change volume in the GST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]