Game Change by Phase Change Materials and Devices
Maria Losurdo
Institute of Chemistry of Condensed Matter and of Technologies for Energy ICMATE-CNR
Corso Stati Uniti 4, Padova, Italy
In recent times, there has been increasing interest in phase-change materials (PCMs) as a promising avenue for developing adaptive materials and reconfigurable intelligent devices that can revolutionize the field of microelectronics and photonics. PCMs refer to a class of materials that can undergo a significant transformation in their material phase through external excitations such as conductive heating, optical stimulation, or the application of electric or magnetic fields, which in turn, results in changes in their electrical and optical properties. Although PCM-based devices have been extensively studied, several concerns regarding the electrical, thermal, and structural dynamics of phase-change devices remain.
This contribution overviews novel two-dimensional chalcogenides PCMs with remarkable nonvolatile modulation capabilities, their material properties, their performance metrics, including physical characteristics, phase change dynamics, structural design, and integration. Examples of the ongoing trend of integrating nonvolatile modulation materials such as charge-trapping materials and 2D-chalcogenide PCMs for lowering the static power consumption of reconfigurable photonic circuits will be presented.
Finally, I will give a perspective on solving some challenges and highlight research areas of further advancements in PCM technology.