Data retention of partial-set states in phase change memories

A key issue in non-volatile storage is long-term data retention. This aspect is even more important in innovative storage technologies, such as phase change memory (PCM), which promises better performance with respect to traditional Flash memory. In this work, we experimentally investigate the effects of the width and the amplitude of programming pulses on the degradation of intermediate programmed resistance levels over time in PCM cells, with the aim to contribute to the development of data retention-optimized algorithms for multilevel (ML) storage in PCM.