Evolution of Short‐Range Order of Amorphous GeTe Upon Structural Relaxation Obtained by TEM Diffractometry and RMC Methods

Bibliographic Details
Title: Evolution of Short‐Range Order of Amorphous GeTe Upon Structural Relaxation Obtained by TEM Diffractometry and RMC Methods
Authors: Christian Stenz, Julian Pries, T. Wesley Surta, Michael W. Gaultois, Matthias Wuttig
Source: Advanced Science, Vol 10, Iss 36, Pp n/a-n/a (2023)
Publisher Information: Wiley, 2023.
Publication Year: 2023
Collection: LCC:Science
Subject Terms: metavalent bonding, pair distribution function, phase change materials, resistance drift, reverse Monte‐Carlo simulation, structural relaxation, Science
More Details: Abstract Glasses frequently reveal structural relaxation that leads to changes in their physical properties including enthalpy, specific volume, and resistivity. Analyzing the short‐range order (SRO) obtained from electron diffraction by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in combination with Reverse‐Monte‐Carlo (RMC) simulations is shown to provide information on the atomic arrangement. The technique elaborated here features several benefits including reliability, accessibility, and allows for obtaining detailed structural data quickly. This is demonstrated with a detailed view of the structural changes in the as‐deposited amorphous phase change material (PCM) GeTe. The data show a significant increase in the average bond angle upon thermal treatment. At the same time the fraction of tetrahedrally coordinated Ge atoms decreases due to an increase in octahedrally distorted and pyramidal motifs. This finding provides further evidence for the atomic processes that govern structural relaxation in amorphous GeTe and other PCMs. A thorough literature review finally unveils possible origins of the large discrepancies reported on the structure of amorphous GeTe.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2198-3844
Relation: https://doaj.org/toc/2198-3844
DOI: 10.1002/advs.202304323
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/ab52ecc0abe94d5abce8e56fee9e8ca4
Accession Number: edsdoj.b52ecc0abe94d5abce8e56fee9e8ca4
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:21983844
DOI:10.1002/advs.202304323
Published in:Advanced Science
Language:English