Researchers observe switching inside a nano device, revealing how current and heat govern memory operation and guide material design.
As artificial intelligence workloads scale, memory technologies must switch faster while consuming less power. At the core of this challenge is electrical switching the moment when a memory material turns current on and off. Despite its importance, this process has remained difficult to observe directly at the nanoscale, limiting the ability to design next generation memory materials based on fundamental principles rather than trial and error.
Researchers in South Korea have now captured this elusive switching moment inside a working nano device. A research team, Kyungpook National University, has demonstrated a technique to directly observe electrical switching and phase transitions in amorphous tellurium, a promising low power memory material. The work reveals how and when switching begins, offering a blueprint for faster and more energy efficient memory design.
The researchers achieved this by momentarily melting tellurium inside a nanoscale device and rapidly freezing it through cryogenic quenching, stabilizing it in an amorphous glass like state. Using real time electrical monitoring, they identified the threshold voltage and thermal conditions that trigger switching, as well as where energy loss occurs. Their measurements show that switching follows a two step process, starting with current flow along microscopic defects, followed by localized heating and melting. Crucially, stable high speed switching was achieved while reducing heat generation.
Key features of the research include:
- Direct real time observation of electrical switching in a nano device
- Stable implementation of amorphous tellurium using rapid melting and quenching
- Identification of threshold voltage and energy loss pathways
- Demonstration of low heat, high speed switching
- Self oscillation switching using a single element material
Professor Joonki Suh, who led this research work, says, “This is the first study to implement amorphous tellurium in a real device environment and clearly explain its switching mechanism. It establishes a new foundation for designing faster and more energy efficient memory materials.”
