TCAD Modeling of Carbon Electrode for Highly Accurate Reset Current Prediction of Phase Change Memory Considering Both Thermal and Electronic Transport

A TCAD model considering both the electrical and thermal conductivity of a carbon electrode was developed and experimentally calibrated. The electrical conductivity was considered using the Poole conduction model, while the thermal conduction was considered as the sum of the constant phonon and electronic components expressed by the Wiedemann-Franz law. Using the developed TCAD model, we could successfully predict the reset current (Ireset) of phase-change material (PM)/selector stacked devices with high accuracy. The heat was generated not only in the selector but also in the top electrode (TE) of carbon, and it was confirmed that accurate modeling of both electrical and thermal conductivity of TE is indispensable for reproducing Ireset of a real device. Finally, side etching of the TE was demonstrated to generate increased Joule heating in the TE to decrease Ireset.