Comparison of optical transients during the picosecond laser pulse-induced crystallization of GeSbTe and AgInSbTe phase-change thin films: Nucleation-driven versus growth-driven processes

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• 作者：Guangfei Liang ; Simian Li ; Huan Huang ; Yang Wang ; Tianshu Lai ; Yiqun Wu
• 关键词：Phase-change materials ; GeSbTe ; AgInSbTe ; Picosecond ; Crystallization dynamics ; Crystallization mechanism
• 刊名：Physica B
• 出版年：2013
• 出版时间：1 September, 2013
• 年：2013
• 卷：424
• 期：Complete
• 页码：1-7
• 全文大小：1329 K

文摘

Direct comparison of the real-time in-situ crystallization behavior of as-deposited amorphous Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (GeSbTe) and Ag₈In₁₄Sb₅₅Te₂₃ (AgInSbTe) phase-change thin films driven by picosecond laser pulses was performed by a time-resolved optical pump-probe technique with nanosecond resolution. Different optical transients showed various crystallization processes because of the dissimilar nucleation- and growth-dominated mechanisms of the two materials. The effects of laser pulse fluence, thermal conductive structure, and successive pulse irradiation on their crystallization dynamics were also discussed. A schematic was then established to describe the different crystallization processes beginning from the as-deposited amorphous state. The results may provide further insight into the phase-change mechanism under extra-non-equilibrium conditions and aid the development of ultrafast phase-change memory materials.