A New Analytical Model of the Erasing Operation in Phase-Change Memories

In this letter, we present a new analytical model of the erasing operation in phase-change memories (PCMs). The model successfully describes the dynamics of the erasing curves of PCM arrays in terms of a filamentation picture of the electronic switching process. We also suggest a physical link between the crystalline fraction concept and the filamentation properties, thus providing a deeper comprehension of the underlying physics. The model is able to take into account both technological and architectural parameters, and it is suitable for the statistical analysis of PCM arrays.