Simulation of recrystallization in phase-change recording materials

Simulations of the movement of the crystalline/amorphous boundary during the writing process were performed. The movement of the boundary was traced by drawing arrows representing the crystallization direction and speed. The lines traced by these arrows made a good match with streamlines of crystal growth shown in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) image. We have also introduced the idea of a "recrystallization ring" to explain the mark-formation mechanism by investigating the temperature dependency of the crystallization growth rate. The simulations for GeSbTe and Ag–InSbTe recording materials illustrate the differences in the crystallization mechanisms of these materials.