Two-Fold Reduction of Switching Current Density in Phase Change Memory Using Bi₂Te₃ Thermoelectric Interfacial Layer

High switching current density has been a key bottleneck for phase change memory (PCM) technology. Here, we demonstrate interfacial thermoelectric heating (TEH) as a promising way of tackling this challenge. We use TEH induced by a thin Bi
₂
Te
₃
interfacial layer to demonstrate
$\sim 2\times $
reduction of reset current density (
${J} _{\text{reset}}$
) and power (
${P} _{\text{reset}}$
) compared to control PCM devices based on Ge
₂
Sb
₂
Te
₅
(GST). Measurements of polarity-dependent reset current and power in well-cycled devices reveal the strong TEH caused by the Bi
₂
Te
₃
interfacial layer. The TEH origin of
${J} _{\text{reset}}$
reduction is further confirmed by electro-thermal simulations. Such TEH-engineered PCM devices are scalable with the bottom electrode diameter and thus could be promising for high density data storage applications.