Figure 3 | Scientific Reports

Figure 3

From: Enabling Universal Memory by Overcoming the Contradictory Speed and Stability Nature of Phase-Change Materials

Figure 3

Dependence of the phase-change mechanism on scaling.

(a) Schematic diagram of the phase-change mechanisms in a PCRAM cell that contribute to the phase switching process for different cell sizes. (b) Schematics showing the change in phase-change mechanism. As the cell size decreases, the mechanism changes from the nucleation-dominated to the growth-dominated crystallization process. (c) TEM characterization of the NGST film deposited on SiO2-on Si and capped with sputtered SiO2. The NGST films were annealed at 280 °C for 3 min. The crystallization starts from the interface and the grains have different crystalline fringe orientations.

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