The switching phenomenon in amorphous In2Te3 thin films

Investigation of the switching phenomenon in amorphous In2Te3 films revealed that it is typical for a memory switch. The thickness dependence of the mean value of the switching voltage V-th was linear in the investigated range and (V) over bar(th) decreased exponentially with a temperature rise from 298 to 373 K. The switching voltage activation energy (epsilon) calculated from the temperature dependence of (V) over bar(th) is about 0.25 eV. The conduction activation energy (E(sigma)) obtained from the temperature dependence of film resistance was found to be 0.51 eV. The agreement between the obtained value of the ratio epsilon/E(sigma)(0.49) and those of the temperature difference between that inside the film and that of its surface with their values obtained before suggests that the switching phenomenon in the investigated In2Te3 films may be explained according to an electrothermal model for the switching process.