Atomic stacking and van-der-Waals bonding in GeTe–Sb_2Te_3 superlattices

GeTe–Sb 2 Te 3 superlattices have attracted major interest in the field of phase-change memories due to their improved properties compared with their mixed counterparts. However, their crystal structure and resistance-switching mechanism are currently not clearly understood. In this work epitaxial GeTe–Sb 2 Te 3 superlattices have been grown with different techniques and were thoroughly investigated to unravel the structure of their crystalline state with particular focus on atomic stacking and van-der-Waals bonding. It is found that, due to the bonding anisotropy of GeTe and Sb 2 Te 3 , the materials intermix to form van-der-Waals heterostructures of Sb 2 Te 3 and stable GeSbTe. Moreover, it is found through annealing experiments that intermixing is stronger for higher temperatures. The resulting ground state structure contradicts the dominant ab-initio results in the literature, requiring revisions of the proposed switching mechanisms. Overall, these findings shed light on the bonding nature of GeTe–Sb 2 Te 3 superlattices and open a way to the understanding of their functionality.

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