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Volume 18
Issue 20
10.3390/ma18204681
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

The Influence of Reactive Ion Etching Chemistry on the Initial Resistance and Cycling Stability of Line-Type (Bridge) Phase-Change Memory Devices

by
Abbas Espiari
1,*,†,
Henriette Padberg
2,†,
Alexander Kiehn
1,
Kristoffer Schnieders
2,
Jiayuan Zhang
3,
Gregor Mussler
1,
Stefan Wiefels
2,
Abdur Rehman Jalil
1 and
Detlev Grützmacher
1
1
Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI-10), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
2
Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
3
Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI-9), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Materials 2025, 18(20), 4681; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18204681 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 6 September 2025 / Revised: 3 October 2025 / Accepted: 10 October 2025 / Published: 12 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Materials Physics)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Phase-change memory (PCM) is a promising candidate for in-memory computation and neuromorphic computing due to its high endurance, low cycle-to-cycle variability, and low read noise. However, among other factors, its performance strongly depends on the post-lithography fabrication steps. This study examines the impact of reactive ion etching (RIE) on PCM device performance by evaluating different etching gas mixtures, CHF3:O2, H2:Ar, and Ar, and determining their impact on key device characteristics, particularly initial resistance and cycling stability. The present study demonstrates that a two-step etching approach in which the capping layer is first removed using H2:Ar and the underlying GST layer is subsequently etched using physical Ar sputtering ensures stable and reliable PCM operation. In contrast, chemically reactive gases negatively impact the initial resistance, cycling stability, and device lifetime, likely due to alterations in the material composition. For the cycling stability evaluation, an advanced measurement algorithm utilizing the aixMATRIX setup by aixACCT Systems is employed. This algorithm enables automated testing, dynamically adjusting biasing parameters based on cell responses, ensuring a stable ON/OFF ratio and high-throughput characterization.
Keywords: PCM; neuromorphic computing; phase-change materials; process optimization; reactive ion etching; endurance PCM; neuromorphic computing; phase-change materials; process optimization; reactive ion etching; endurance

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MDPI and ACS Style

Espiari, A.; Padberg, H.; Kiehn, A.; Schnieders, K.; Zhang, J.; Mussler, G.; Wiefels, S.; Jalil, A.R.; Grützmacher, D. The Influence of Reactive Ion Etching Chemistry on the Initial Resistance and Cycling Stability of Line-Type (Bridge) Phase-Change Memory Devices. Materials 2025, 18, 4681. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18204681

AMA Style

Espiari A, Padberg H, Kiehn A, Schnieders K, Zhang J, Mussler G, Wiefels S, Jalil AR, Grützmacher D. The Influence of Reactive Ion Etching Chemistry on the Initial Resistance and Cycling Stability of Line-Type (Bridge) Phase-Change Memory Devices. Materials. 2025; 18(20):4681. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18204681

Chicago/Turabian Style

Espiari, Abbas, Henriette Padberg, Alexander Kiehn, Kristoffer Schnieders, Jiayuan Zhang, Gregor Mussler, Stefan Wiefels, Abdur Rehman Jalil, and Detlev Grützmacher. 2025. "The Influence of Reactive Ion Etching Chemistry on the Initial Resistance and Cycling Stability of Line-Type (Bridge) Phase-Change Memory Devices" Materials 18, no. 20: 4681. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18204681

APA Style

Espiari, A., Padberg, H., Kiehn, A., Schnieders, K., Zhang, J., Mussler, G., Wiefels, S., Jalil, A. R., & Grützmacher, D. (2025). The Influence of Reactive Ion Etching Chemistry on the Initial Resistance and Cycling Stability of Line-Type (Bridge) Phase-Change Memory Devices. Materials, 18(20), 4681. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18204681

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