Jibin George Mathews,

06142,
S7 EA,
Department of Electronics and Communication
 History
• Dr. Ovshinsky -1960s
• He formed his company ECD(Energy conversion devices)
• Article in 1970 September 28 edition of Electronics magazine by
him & Gordon Moore titled “non volatile & reprogrammable ”

• 2000 – STMicroelectronics & ovonyx

What is Phase Change Memory ?

”PCM/PRAM uses the unique behavior of chalcogenide glass, which can be

"switched" between two states, crystalline and amorphous, with the
application of heat.”
 Why PCM is becoming attractive now ??

• Technology to produce high purity thin films

• Cost
•Numerous breakthroughs in chalcogenide materials.
•Scaling - Less material to heat –less energy reqd.
•Flash memory will soon reach its scaling limit.
 A review of memory basics !
What is a computer memory ?
Hard disk ?? No,Its simply a type of storage(permanent)
“Out of memory” message on computer indicates RAM.

Memory is commonly known as RAM.

• Two types: volatile & nonvolatile(NVRAM)

• Volatile : Static & Dynamic

• NVRAM also called CMOS RAM

on-board semiconductor chip
powered by a CMOS battery inside computers that
stores information such as the system time and
system settings for
your computer.

• Historically RAM and Hard disk were called primary and secondary
storages respectively
 Memory basics(contd)
Hierarchy of computer storage
• Primary,

Why we use volatile RAM as primary ?

• Secondary

• Tertiary
 Memory basics(contd)

4 groups
•You turn computer ON

•CPU derives data from ROM

&performs POST

•Loads BIOS from ROM

•Loads OS from HDD into RAM

•Opening applications will load them into

RAM.Saving them causes them to be written to
the storage device and file deleted from RAM

Why does a computer need so many memory systems ?

 Flash memory
Non volatile
Problems related to flash

• Nand & Nor flash technologies reaching scaling limit

• If size of code/data increased by a byte that space has to be doubled
• It can be written to in bytes only ie can be overwritten only if an entire
block is erased. So cant be used for small random writes of processor.

• So a complement of NVRAM & RAM had to be used.

• Only good for 100k-1M writes

•Answer is PCM !!
– No longer should the code and data be separately stored in NVM and RAM
 Current NVM

performance
is
stagnating!
forever!

density is
improving!
for how
long?

Answer is PCM !!
 PCM to the rescue !

Contributes attributes of NOR,NAND &

RAM
•Byte alterable
•Faster writes
•Faster execution
•Non volatile
•Can store both code and data

PCM performance NVM/Flash performance

•Fast (~50 ns) •Slow (s-ms)
•Low voltage (0.4-2 V) •High voltage (10-15 V)
•Scaling: good •Scaling: bad
•Medium endurance (109- •Short endurance (105-106)
10 )
13
 1.PCM - Introduction

1.PCM uses a reversible structural phase-change

(between amorphous phase & crystalline phase)

2.The small volume of active media in each memory cell acts

as a fast programmable resistor.

Physical characteristics
• Chemical formula: GexSbyTez
• Uses chalcogenide glass
• Varies between two states:
– Crystalline – low resistance, represents binary 0
– Amorphous – high resistance, represents binary 1
• Can switch on the order of nanoseconds
2.PCM-Technology concept
Technology concept(contd)
 3.PCM-Basic structure

Crystalline
Chalcogenide

Amorphous or
Crystalline Chalcogenide

Resistive Heater
 4.PCM-Cell element
characteristics
Basic Device Operation

Figure 2 – Entire cell

diagram
 5.PCM-operating principle

 The PCM cell is programmed by application of a current pulse at a

voltage above the switching threshold.

 PCM devices are programmed by electrically altering the structure

(amorphous or crystalline)of a small volume of chalcogenide alloy

 The programming pulse drives the memory cell into a high or low
resistance state(phase transition process), depending on current
magnitude.

 Phase transition process can be completed in as quickly as 5

nanoseconds. Information stored in the cell is read out by measurement
of the cell’s resistance.
 PCM-operating principle(contd)

•A simple scalable device:

• An access transistor and a programmable element (PE)
• High switching speed (~ns)
• Read/write endurance: >1012 (Flash: 106) PE

word-lines
Memory array with NMOS
transistors:

bit-lines

• PE based on a switching resistance

• Phase-change materials amorphous phase: ‘high’-Ohmic
crystalline phase: ‘low’-Ohmic

• Fast switching between amorphous and crystalline phase

 Switching

•Electric
. pulses induce Joule heating

RESET pulse: SET pulse:

- T > Tmelt - T > Tcryst

- Rapid cooling down  - Longer pulse 

amorphization crystallization

Temperature Temperature

Melting Melting
Temperature Temperature

amorphization pulse crystallization pulse

Crystal Crystal
Temperature Temperature

Time Time 1
7
 V-I characteristics

•. At low voltages, the device exhibits

either a low resistance (~1k) or high
resistance (>100k), depending on its
programmed state : READ region

For a reset device : V >Vth to

program

The reciprocal slope of I-V curve in the dynamic on state is the series
device resistance
 R-I Characteristics
shows the device read resistance
resulting from application of the
programming current pulse amplitude.

low amplitude pulses at voltages less

than Vth do not set the device. Once Vth
is surpassed, the device switches to the
dynamic on state and programmed
resistance is dramatically reduced as
crystallization of the material is achieved.

The slope of the right side of the curve is the device design parameter and can be
adjusted to enable a multi‐ state memory cell.
 About Chalcogenide alloy

Two types : Nucleation dominant material &

fast growth material

Chalcogenide or phase change alloys is a

ternary system of Gallium, Antimony and
Tellurium. Chemically it is Ge2Sb2Te5.

Production Process: Powders for the phase change targets are produced by
state‐of –the art alloying through melting of the raw material and subsequent
milling. This achieves the defined particle size distribution. Then powders are
processed to discs through Hot Isotactic Pressing
 PCM - Advantages

 PCM uses a reversible structural phase-change scaled device has been

demonstrated
 Cost/Bit Reduction
• Small active storage medium
• Small cell size – small die size
• Simple manufacturing process – low step count
• Simple planar device structure
• Low voltage – single supply
• Reduced assembly and test costs

•  Highly Scalable
• Performance improves with scaling
• Only lithography limited
• Low voltage operation
• Multi-state demonstrated
 PCM Today

•2004 :Samsung Prototyped a 512 MB module

•2006 :Intel created a mass producible 128 module
•2008: Intel discovered 2 additional states effectively
doubling the Capacity

•2008 End: Intel begins shipping beta version called

Alverstone

•Multilevel recording on optical CDs

 Challenges

•Challenges include :Management of proximity heating

with declining cell space.

•Increased set/reset resistance and decreased read

current/set current margin with scaling.
Emerging technologies & PCM
 Conclusion

Near ideal memory qualities

 Broadens system applications
– Embedded, System-On-a-Chip (SOC), other products
 Highly scalable
 Risk factors have been identified
 Time to productize
More companies looking forward to OUM
That might completely replace FLASH.
 References

 www.ovonyx.com
 www.ieee.org
 http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/memory/display/2005091221264
9.html
 http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=36841
 http://www.tgdaily.com/2008/09/13/bitmicro_rolls_out_155_gig_s
olid/
 http://www.storagesearch.com/semico-art1.html
 http://www.samsung.com/he/presscenter/pressrelease/pressrelea
se_20060524_0000257996.asp
 http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20070530corp.
htm
 Objective analysis pcm white paper August 2009\\
PCM – a 180 nm non volatile memory cell element technology
forstand alone and embedded applications – Stefan Lai and Tyler
Lowrey
• Current status of Phase change memory – Stefan Lai
T HANK Y OU ! !
An y Qu e s t i o n s ? !