Electron Beam Annealing for Component Optimization in Si-Sb-Te Material

Abstract

Electron beam (EB) annealing was used to acquire a reasonable and stable component in Si-Sb-Te material. For Si2Sb2Te5phase change material, EB irradiation can induce phase separation and some regions have remained unchanged, which manifests as SixSb2Te3. The component of these steady areas was considered as reasonable in which Sb2Te3is a stable compound. The crystallized Si3.3Sb2Te3film after EB irradiation exhibited nanoscale grains with well-proportioned distribution and these grains were all with Sb2Te3structure surrounded by amorphous. This unique structure brings fast phase change speed which is at least 12 times more rapidly than Si2Sb2Te5material because it localizes atoms’ diffusion in a nanoarea during reversible phase transition process.