Improving the GeAsSe Ovonic Threshold Switching Characteristics by Carbon Buffer Layers for Ultralow Leakage Current (∼0.4 nA) and Low Drift Characteristics

Volatile Ovonic threshold switching (OTS) selectors have been regarded as the critical component of highly integrated three-dimensional (3D) cross-point array nonvolatile memory systems. However, relatively high leakage current hinders the further reduction of power consumption in the crossbar array. In addition, the threshold voltage drift phenomenon hinders the improvement of device reliability. Utilizing the buffer layer can effectively reduce the interaction between electrodes and the active layer in the cross-point architecture. Here, it manifests that leakage current can be reduced to ∼0.4 nA with a 5 nm thick amorphous carbon layer as a buffer layer in the GeAsSe-based OTS device, where the carbon layer stabilizes the composition of GeAsSe during the electrical switching cycles. It is also found that the carbon layer leads to a lower threshold voltage drift (35.6 mv/dec) and excellent endurance (>109 cycles with ∼0.4 nA ON-state current). The conduction mechanism analysis demonstrates that the inhibition of the carbon layer on drift originates from the high barrier height from delocalized states transformed into localized states. This work clearly demonstrates the role of the carbon layer and facilitates future 3D crossbar-storage technology applications