Simulation of phase-change random access memory with 35nm diameter of the TiN bottom electrode by finite element modeling

Qiuxue Jin; Bo Liu; Yan Liu; Heng Wang; Zhen Xu; Dan Gao; Qing Wang; Yangyang Xia; Weiwei Wang; Zhitang Song; Songlin Feng

doi:10.1117/12.2245269

12 October 2016 Simulation of phase-change random access memory with 35nm diameter of the TiN bottom electrode by finite element modeling

Qiuxue Jin, Bo Liu, Yan Liu, Heng Wang, Zhen Xu, Dan Gao, Qing Wang, Yangyang Xia, Weiwei Wang, Zhitang Song, Songlin Feng

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9818, 2016 International Workshop on Information Data Storage and Tenth International Symposium on Optical Storage; 98180K (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2245269
Event: 2016 International Workshop on Information Data Storage and Tenth International Symposium on Optical Storage, 2016, Changzhou, China

Abstract

A three-dimensional finite element model for Phase-Change Random Access Memory (PCRAM) is established to simulate thermal and electrical distribution during RESET operation. The establishment of the model is highly in accordance with the manufacture of PCRAM cell in the 40nm process and the model is applied to simulate the RESET behaviors of 35 nm diameter of titanium nitride (TiN) bottom electrode in the conventional mushroom structure (MS). By the simulations of thermal and electrical distribution, the highest temperature is observed in TiN bottom electrode contactor and meanwhile the voltage of the TiN bottom electrode accounts for as high as 65 percent of the total voltage. It induces high RESET current which suggests that the thermoelectric conductivity of MS is crucial in improving the heating efficiency in RESET process. Simulation results of RESET current and high resistance distribution during RESET operation are close to the data from the actual measurement. However those two values of low resistance are slightly different, probably due to the interface resistance between Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (GST) and other materials and the resistance caused by microstructural defects. This work reveals the importance of the thermoelectrical properties of materials in PCRAM cells and improves the quality of PCRAM simulations in industrial application.

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Qiuxue Jin, Bo Liu, Yan Liu, Heng Wang, Zhen Xu, Dan Gao, Qing Wang, Yangyang Xia, Weiwei Wang, Zhitang Song, and Songlin Feng "Simulation of phase-change random access memory with 35nm diameter of the TiN bottom electrode by finite element modeling", Proc. SPIE 9818, 2016 International Workshop on Information Data Storage and Tenth International Symposium on Optical Storage, 98180K (12 October 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2245269

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KEYWORDS

Resistance

Tin

Electrodes

Finite element methods

3D modeling

Crystals

Interfaces

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