Self-aligned nanotube-nanowire phase change memory.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 23259592.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/nl3038097.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
A central issue of nanoelectronics concerns their fundamental scaling limits, that is, the smallest and most energy-efficient devices that can function reliably. Unlike charge-based electronics that are prone to leakage at nanoscale dimensions, memory devices based on phase change materials (PCMs) are more scalable, storing digital information as the crystalline or amorphous state of a material. Here, we describe a novel approach to self-align PCM nanowires with individual carbon nanotube (CNT) electrodes for the first time. The highly scaled and spatially confined memory devices approach the ultimate scaling limits of PCM technology, achieving ultralow programming currents (~0.1 μA set, ~1.6 μA reset), outstanding on/off ratios (~10(3)), and improved endurance and stability at few-nanometer bit dimensions. In addition, the powerful yet simple nanofabrication approach described here can enable confining and probing many other nanoscale and molecular devices self-aligned with CNT electrodes.