Fabrication and integration of photonic devices for phase-change memory and neuromorphic computing

In the past decade,there has been tremendous progress in integrating chalcogenide phase-change materials(PCMs)on the silicon photonic platform for non-volatile memory to neuromorphic in-memory computing applications.In particular,these non von Neumann computational elements and systems benefit from mass manufacturing of silicon photonic integrated circuits(PICs)on 8-inch wafers using a 130 nm complementary metal-oxide semiconductor line.Chip manufacturing based on deep-ultraviolet lithography and electron-beam lithography enables rapid prototyping of PICs,which can be integrated with high-quality PCMs based on the wafer-scale sputtering technique as a back-end-of-line process.In this article,we present an overview of recent advances in waveguide integrated PCM memory cells,functional devices,and neuromorphic systems,with an emphasis on fabrication and integration processes to attain state-of-the-art device performance.After a short overview of PCM based photonic devices,we discuss the materials properties of the functional layer as well as the progress on the light guiding layer,namely,the silicon and germanium waveguide platforms.Next,we discuss the cleanroom fabrication flow of waveguide devices integrated with thin films and nanowires,silicon waveguides and plasmonic microheaters for the electrothermal switching of PCMs and mixed-mode operation.Finally,the fabrication of photonic and photonic–electronic neuromorphic computing systems is reviewed.These systems consist of arrays of PCM memory elements for associative learning,matrix-vector multiplication,and pattern recognition.With large-scale integration,the neuromorphic photonic computing paradigm holds the promise to outperform digital electronic accelerators by taking the advantages of ultra-high bandwidth,high speed,and energy-efficient operation in running machine learning algorithms.

Experimental Investigation of a Phase-ChangeMaterial’s Stabilizing Role in a Pilot of Smart Salt-Gradient Solar Ponds

Faced with the world’s environmental and energy-related challenges,researchers are turning to innovative,sustainable and intelligent solutions to produce,store,and distribute energy.This work explores the trend of using a smart sensor to monitor the stability and efficiency of a salt-gradient solar pond.Several studies have been conducted to improve the thermal efficiency of salt-gradient solar ponds by introducing other materials.This study investigates the thermal and salinity behaviors of a pilot of smart salt-gradient solar ponds with(SGSP)and without(SGSPP)paraffin wax(PW)as a phase-change material(PCM).Temperature and salinity were measured experimentally using a smart sensor,with the measurements being used to investigate the stabilizing effects of placing the PCM in the solar pond’s lower convective zone.The experimental results show that the pond with the PCM(SGSPP)achieved greater thermal and salinity stability,with there being a lesser temperature and salinity gradient between the different layers when compared to a solar pond without thePCM(SGSP).The use of the PCM,therefore,helped control the maximum and minimum temperature of the pond’s storage zone.The UCZ has been found to operate approximately 4 degrees above the average ambient temperature of the day in the SGSPP and 7 degrees in SGSP.Moreover,an unstable situation is generated after 5 days from starting the operation and at 1.9 m from the bottom,and certain points have the tendency to be neutral from the upper depths in 1,3 m of the bottom.

Ta-Doped Sb2Te Allows Ultrafast Phase-Change Memory with Excellent High-Temperature Operation Characteristics

Phase-change memory(PCM)has considerable promise for new applications based on von Neumann and emerging neuromorphic computing systems.However,a key challenge in harnessing the advantages of PCM devices is achieving high-speed operation of these devices at elevated temperatures,which is critical for the efficient processing and reliable storage of data at full capacity.Herein,we report a novel PCM device based on Ta-doped antimony telluride(Sb2Te),which exhibits both high-speed characteristics and excellent high-temperature characteristics,with an operation speed of 2 ns,endurance of >106 cycles,and reversible switching at 140℃.The high coordination number of Ta and the strong bonds between Ta and Sb/Te atoms contribute to the robustness of the amorphous structure,which improves the thermal stability.Furthermore,the small grains in the three-dimensional limit lead to an increased energy efficiency and a reduced risk of layer segregation,reducing the power consumption and improving the long-term endurance.Our findings for this new Ta-Sb2Te material system can facilitate the development of PCMs with improved performance and novel applications.

Universal memory based on phase-change materials:From phase-change random access memory to optoelectronic hybrid storage

The era of information explosion is coming and information need to be continuously stored and randomly accessed over long-term periods,which constitute an insurmountable challenge for existing data centers.At present,computing devices use the von Neumann architecture with separate computing and memory units,which exposes the shortcomings of“memory bottleneck”.Nonvolatile memristor can realize data storage and in-memory computing at the same time and promises to overcome this bottleneck.Phase-change random access memory(PCRAM)is called one of the best solutions for next generation non-volatile memory.Due to its high speed,good data retention,high density,low power consumption,PCRAM has the broad commercial prospects in the in-memory computing application.In this review,the research progress of phase-change materials and device structures for PCRAM,as well as the most critical performances for a universal memory,such as speed,capacity,and power consumption,are reviewed.By comparing the advantages and disadvantages of phase-change optical disk and PCRAM,a new concept of optoelectronic hybrid storage based on phase-change material is proposed.Furthermore,its feasibility to replace existing memory technologies as a universal memory is also discussed as well.

Unconventional phase transition of phase-change-memory materials for optical data storage

Recent years, optically controlled phase-change memory draws intensive attention owing to some advanced applications including integrated all-optical nonvolatile memory, in-memory computing, and neuromorphic computing. The light-induced phase transition is the key for this technology. Traditional understanding on the role of light is the heating effect. Generally, the RESET operation of phase-change memory is believed to be a melt-quenching-amorphization process. However, some recent experimental and theoretical investigations have revealed that ultrafast laser can manipulate the structures of phase-change materials by non-thermal effects and induces unconventional phase transitions including solid-to-solid amorphization and order-to-order phase transitions. Compared with the conventional thermal amorphization,these transitions have potential superiors such as faster speed, better endurance, and low power consumption. This article summarizes some recent progress of experimental observations and theoretical analyses on these unconventional phase transitions. The discussions mainly focus on the physical mechanism at atomic scale to provide guidance to control the phase transitions for optical storage. Outlook on some possible applications of the non-thermal phase transition is also presented to develop new types of devices.

Paraffin/SiC as a Novel Composite Phase-Change Material for a Lithium-Ion Battery Thermal Management System

A lithium-ion battery thermal management system has always been a hot spot in the battery industry. In this study, a novel high-thermal-conductivity composite phase-change material(CPCM) made by paraffin wax and silicon was adopted to facilitate heat transfer. Moreover, high resistance or even insulation of CPCM is capable of preventing short circuits between the cells. The heat transfer mechanism of CPCMs was determined under a scanning electron microscope. A thermogravimetric analyzer was employed to determine the thermal stability. A diff erential scanning calorimeter was used to explore the thermophysical properties of the composite samples. By comparing the results of the experiment, it was reported that under the silicon carbide content of 5%, the parameters were better than others. The phase-change enthalpy of CPCM was 199.4 J/g, the leakage rate of liquid was 4.6%, and the melting point was 53.6℃. To verify the practicality of CPCM, a three-dimensional layered battery pack model was built in the COMSOL Multiphysics software. By simulating the thermal runaway inside the battery packs of various materials, it was reported that the addition of CPCM significantly narrowed the temperature range of the battery pack from 300–370 to 303–304 K. Therefore, CPCM can eff ectively increase the rate of heat transfer to prevent the chain of thermal runaway reactions. It also enables the battery pack to run at a stable temperature.

Design of broadband achromatic metasurface device based on phase-change material Ge_(2)Sb_(2)Te_(5)

Based on the phase-change material Ge_(2)Sb_(2)Te_(5)(GST),achromatic metasurface optical device in the longer-infrared wavelength is designed.With the combination of the linear phase gradient GST nanopillar and the adjustment of the crystalline fraction m value of GST,the polarization insensitive achromic metalenses and beam deflector metasurface within the longer-infrared wavelength 9.5μm to 13μm are realized.The design results show that the achromatic metalenses can be focused on the same focal plane within the working waveband.The simulation calculation results show that the fullwidth at half-maximum(FWHM)of the focusing spot reaches the diffraction limit at each wavelength.In addition,the same method is also used to design a broadband achromatic beam deflector metasurface with the same deflection angle of 19°.The method proposed in this article not only provides new ideas for the design of achromatic metasurfaces,but also provides new possibilities for the integration of optical imaging,optical coding and other related optical systems.

An artificial synapse by superlattice-like phase-change material for low-power brain-inspired computing

Phase-change material(PCM)is generating widespread interest as a new candidate for artificial synapses in bioinspired computer systems.However,the amorphization process of PCM devices tends to be abrupt,unlike continuous synaptic depression.The relatively large power consumption and poor analog behavior of PCM devices greatly limit their applications.Here,we fabricate a GeTe/Sb2Te3 superlattice-like PCM device which allows a progressive RESET process.Our devices feature low-power consumption operation and potential high-density integration,which can effectively simulate biological synaptic characteristics.The programming energy can be further reduced by properly selecting the resistance range and operating method.The fabricated devices are implemented in both artificial neural networks(ANN)and convolutional neural network(CNN)simulations,demonstrating high accuracy in brain-like pattern recognition.

Forming technology of boiling structure on evaporation surface of phase-change heat sink for high-power light emitting diode

Boiling structures on evaporation surface of red copper sheet with a diameter （D） of 10 mm and a wall thickness （h） of 1 mm were processed by the ploughing-extrusion （P-E） processing method, which is one part of the phase-change heat sink for high power （HP） light emitting diode （LED）. The experimental results show that two different structures of rectangular- and triangular-shaped micro-grooves are formed in P-E process. When P-E depth （ap）, interval of helical grooves （dp） and rotation speed （n） are 0.12 ram, 0.2 mm and 100 r/min, respectively, the boiling structures of triangular-shaped grooves with the fin height of 0.15 mm that has good evaporation performance are obtained. The shapes of the boiling structures are restricted by dp and ap, and dp is determined by n and amount of feed （f）. The ploughing speed has an important influence on the formation of groove structure in P-E process.

Three-Dimensional Simulations of RESET Operation in Phase-Change Random Access Memory with Blade-Type Like Phase Change Layer by Finite Element Modeling

An optimized device structure for reducing the RESET current of phase-change random access memory （PCRAM） with blade-type like （BTL） phase change layer is proposed. The electrical thermal analysis of the BTL cell and the blade heater contactor structure by three-dimensional finite element modeling are compared with each other during RESET operation. The simulation results show that the programming region of the phase change layer in the BTL cell is much smaller, and thermal electrical distributions of the BTL cell are more concentrated on the TiN/GST interface. The results indicate that the BTL cell has the superiorities of increasing the heating efficiency, decreasing the power consumption and reducing the RESET current from 0.67mA to 0.32mA. Therefore, the BTL cell will be appropriate for high performance PCRAM device with lower power consumption and lower RESET current.

Scaling properties of phase-change line memory

Phase-change line memory cells with different line widths are fabricated using focused-ion-beam deposited C-Pt as a hard mask. The electrical performance of these memory devices was characterized. The current^oltage （I-V） and resistance-voltage （RV） characteristics demonstrate that the power consumption decreases with the width of the phase-change line. A three-dimensional simulation is carried out to further study the scaling properties of the phase- change line memory. The results show that the resistive amorphous （RESET） power consumption is proportional to the cross-sectional area of the phase-change line, but increases as the line length decreases.

Theoretical analysis of nanosecond crystallization kinetics of phase-change optical recording films

A theoretical investigation of nanosecond crystallization kinetics of the phase-change optical recording films is presented. An extended Kissinger equation for the square-root heating is derived, which properly describes the temperature evolution of the films by nanosecond laser heating. The extended Kissinger equation was used to explain our previous experimental results.

Study of the phase-change coefficients of the cavitation model in cavitation flow fields generated from cone cavitator

The influence of phase-change coefficients variations in the Singhal cavitation model on the calculation results has been numerically studied. By comparing the numerical results and experimental data, the relationship between the coefficients and cavitation numbers is obtained. The calculation results of 2d axisymmetrical cylinder with 45-degree cone cavitator show that under different cavitation numbers, there are three typical kind of cavities, which are respectively main cavity, secondary cavity and rear cavity. The coefficients variations have a great influence respectively on the three type cavities in shape, collapse position, collapse strength, etc, and different cavitation numbers are corresponding to different phase-change coefficients. The cavitation flow field can be divided into three typical zones according to the cavitation number: weak-cavitation zone, secondary-cavitation zone and supercavitation zone. For 45-degree cone cavitator cylinder, the evaporation coefficients will firstly decrease and then increase with the decrease of cavitation numbers in secondary-cavitation zone, while the condensation coefficients keep relatively lower and almost unchanged. In weak-cavitation zone, there only exists the smaller main cavity attached to the model head or there is no obvious cavity. In supercavitation zone, the secondary cavity attached to the model will fall off and merge into the new rear cavity.

Melting and Solidification Heat Transfer Characteristics of a Phase-Change Material in a Latent Heat Storage Vessel: Effects of a Perforated Partition Plate and Metal Fiber

Today, latent heat storage technology has advanced to allow reuse of waste heat in the middle-temperature range. This paper describes an approach to develop a latent heat storage system using middle-temperature waste heat (~100oC - 200oC) from factories. Direct contact melting and solidification behavior between a heat-transfer fluid (oil) and a latent heat storage material mixture were observed. The mixture consisted of mannitol and erythritol (Cm = 70 mass %, Ce = 30 mass %) as a phase-change material (PCM). The weight of the PCM was 3.0 kg and the flow rate of the oil, foil, was 1.0, 1.5, or 2.0 kg/min. To decrease the solidified height of the PCM mixture during the solidification process, a perforated partition plate was installed in the PCM region in the heat storage vessel. PCM coated oil droplets were broken by the perforated partition plate, preventing the solidified height of the PCM from increasing. The solidification and melting processes were repeated using metal fiber. It was found that installing the metal fiber was more effective than installing the perforated partition plate to prevent the flow out problem of the PCM.

VAPOR-LIQUID EQUILIBRIA FOR PROPYLENE -METHANOL-WATER SYSTEM

In this article VLE data for a ternary system (propylene-methanol-water) under 30～60 C,0. 3～0. 9 MPa with a mass ratio of methanol to water of 9:1, 8: 2, 7: 3 were determined with a static equilibrium still, and were correlated by using Peng-Robinson model. The average relative error ofpropylene concentration in liquid phase is 1. 46 %. The results indicate that the models are very suitablefor the ternary system and the data are reliable.

Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium Data of Carbon Dioxide＋Methyl Propionate and Carbon Dioxide＋Propyl Propionate Systems

High-pressure vapor-liquid equilibrium data for the binary systems of methyl propionate＋carbon dioxide and propyl propionate＋carbon dioxide were measured at pressure from 1.00 MPa to 12.00 MPa and temperature in the range from 313 K to 373 K. Experimental results were correlated with the Peng-Robinson equation of state with the two-parameter van der Waals mixing rule. At the same time, the Henry＇s coefficient, partial molar enthalpy change and partial molar entropy change of CO2 during dissolution at different temperature were also calculated.

Isobaric Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium for Methyldichlorosi-lane+Methylvinyldichlorosilane+Toluene and Constituent Binary Systems

Vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) for a ternary system of methyldichlorosilane + methylvinyldichlorosi-lane + toluene and constituent binary systems were measured at 101.3kPa using a new type of magnetical pump-ebulliometer. The equilibrium compositions of the vapor phase of binary systems were calculated indirectly from the total pressure-temperature-liquid composition (pTx). The experimental data were correlated with the Wilson and NRTL(non-random two liquid) equations. The parameters of the Wilson model were employed to predict the ternary VLE data. The calculated boiling points were in good agreement with the experimental ones.

Isobaric Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium of Binary Systems： p-Xylene ＋ （Acetic Acid, Methyl Acetate and n-Propyl Acetate） and Methyl Acetate ＋ n-Propyl Acetate in an Acetic Acid Dehydration Process

The vapor-liquid equilibrium data of four binary systems (acetic acid +p-xylene, methyl acetate +n-propyl acetate, n-propyl acetate +p-xylene and methyl acetate +p-xylene) are measured at 101.33 kPa with Ellis equilibrium still, and then both the NRTL and UNIQUAC models are used in combination with the HOC model for correlating and estimating the vapor-liquid equilibrium of these four binary systems. The estimated binary VLE results using correlated parameters agree well with the measured data except the methyl acetate +p-xylene system which easily causes bumping and liquid rushing out of the sampling tap due to their dramatically different boiling points. The correlation results by NRTL and UNIQUAC models have little difference on the average absolute deviations of temperature and composition of vapor phase, and the results by NRTL model are slightly better than those by UNIQUAC model except for the methyl acetate +n-propyl acetate system, for which the latter gives more accurate correlations.

Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium Prediction of Ammonia-Ionic Liquid Working Pairs of Absorption Cycle Using UNIFAC Model

On the basis of reported experimental vapor-liquid equilibrium （VLE） data of NH3-1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate （NH3-[Emim]Ac）, NH3-1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate （NH3-[Bmim][BF4]）, NH3-1,3-dimethylimidazolium dimethyl phosphate （NH3-[Mmim]DMP） and NH3-1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate （NH3-[Emim]EtOSO3） binary systems, the interaction parameters of 14 new groups have been regressed by means of the UNIFAC model. To validate the reliability of the method, these parameters have been used to calculate the VLE data with the average relative deviation of pressures of less than 9.35%. The infinite dilution activity coefficient （ γ1∞ ） and the absorption potential （ φ1 ） are important evaluation criterions of the affinity between working pair species of the absorption cycle. The UNIFAC model is implemented to predict the values of and φ1 of t6 sets of NH3-ionic liquid （1L） systems. The work found that the φ1 gradually increases following the impact order： φ1（[Cnmim][BF4]）〈φ1（[Cnmim]EtOSO3）〈φ1（[Cnmim]DMP）〈φ1（[Cnmim]Ac） （n= 1, 2, 3, … ） at a given cation of IL species and constant temperature, and φ1（[Mmim]X）〈φ1（[Emim]X）〈φ1（[Pmim]X）〈 φ1（[Bmim]X）（X= Ac, [BF4], DMP or EtOSO3） at a given anion of IL species and constant temperature. Furthermore, the φ1 gradually increases with increasing temperature. Then, it could be concluded that the working pair NH3-[BmimlAc has the best potential research value relatively.

Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium Measurements and Modeling for Ternary System Water ＋ Ethanol ＋ 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium Acetate

Vapor-liquid equilibrium(VLE) data were measured for ternary system water + ethanol + 1-butyl-3methylimidazolium acetate([bmim][OAc]),in a relatively wide range of ionic liquid(IL) mass fractions up to 0.8.Six sets of complete T-x-y data were obtained,in which the mole fraction of ethanol on IL-free basis was fixed separately at 0.1,0.2,0.4,0.6,0.8,and approximate 0.98.The non-random-two-liquid(NRTL) and electrolyte non-random-two-liquid(eNRTL) equations were used for correlation,showing similar deviations.The ternary VLE was also modeled with the correlation from two data sets,with the mole fractions of ethanol on IL-free basis being 0.1 and approximate 0.98.The VLE data were also reproduced satisfactorily.With the eNRTL model,the root-mean-square deviation for temperature is 0.79 K and that for vapor-phase mole fraction is 0.0094.The calculations are in good agreement with experimental data.The effect of the IL on the VLE behavior of the volatile components is also illustrated.