Sb-rich Zn-Sb-Te phase-change materials: A candidate for the trade-off between crystallization speed and data retention

We explored the structural and physical properties of Sb-rich Zn-Sb-Te films in order to combine the good thermal stability of ZnSb with the high crystallization speed of Sb2Te. The films generally exhibit two different crystallization characteristics described as follows: amorphous -> Sb2Te crystalline phase if the Zn content in the film is less than similar to 10 at. % and amorphous -> Sb crystalline phase if the Zn content is more than similar to 10 at. %. Among the films, the Zn28.62Sb53.69Te17.69 film was found to show the highest crystallization temperature (similar to 255 degrees C), best 10 year data retention (similar to 165.9 degrees C), and shortest crystallization time of similar to 58 ns at 70 mW with a stable rhombohedral Sb phase; thus, it is considered promising for phase-change memory applications. (C) 2014 The Japan Society of Applied Physics