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On-device cryogenic quenching enables robust amorphous tellurium for threshold switching
Namwook Hur1, Seunghwan Kim2, Yu Bin Park3
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Republic of Korea.
Nature Communications
|January 13, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed an amorphous tellurium (a-Te) phase using cryogenic quenching for advanced selector materials. This method enhances threshold voltage and reduces current, enabling reliable oscillations for novel electronic devices.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Solid State Physics
- Device Engineering
Background:
- Amorphous chalcogenide alloys are key for Ovonic threshold switching (OTS) selectors.
- Tellurium (Te) presents challenges due to low crystallization temperature and poor glass-forming ability.
- Understanding Te's device-level behavior is crucial for selector material development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the electrothermal behavior of amorphous tellurium (a-Te) as a selector material.
- To overcome challenges associated with Te's low crystallization temperature.
- To explore novel switching mechanisms in Te-based devices.
Main Methods:
- Realization of an amorphous Te (a-Te) phase using on-device cryogenic quenching.
- Suppression of crystallization in the supercooled liquid at low ambient temperatures.
- Analysis of the order-to-disorder transition and its impact on electrical characteristics.
Main Results:
- Cryogenic quenching successfully created a stable a-Te phase, suppressing crystallization.
- The a-Te phase exhibited a ~0.81V increase in threshold voltage and a ~10³ reduction in subthreshold current.
- Reliable self-regulated oscillations driven by deep traps were observed in the a-Te phase.
Conclusions:
- Threshold switching in Te is attributed to defect-mediated transitions before melting, not just thermal effects.
- The developed a-Te phase offers enhanced performance for selector devices.
- Findings pave the way for stoichiometry-tuned selectors, nano-oscillators, and selector-only memory.
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