Amorphization Optimization of Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ Media for Electrical Probe Memory Applications

Electrical probe memory using Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ media has been considered a promising candidate in the future archival storage market due to its potential for ultra-high density and long data retention time. However, most current research efforts have been devoted to the writing of crystalline bits using electrical probe memory while ignoring the viability of writing amorphous bits. Therefore, this paper proposes a physical, realistic, full three-dimensional model to optimize the practicable media stack by spatially and temporally calculating temperature distributions inside the active media during the writing of amorphous bits. It demonstrates the feasibility of using an optimized device that follows a Silicon/Titanium Nitride/Ge₂Sb₂Te₅/Diamond-Like Carbon design with appropriate electro-thermal properties and thickness to achieve ultra-high density, low energy consumption, and a high data rate without inducing excessive temperature. The ability to realize multi-bit recording and rewritability using the designed device is also proven, making it attractive and suitable for practicable applications.