Stress Buildup Upon Crystallization of GeTe Thin Films: Curvature Measurements and Modelling.

Phase change materials are attractive materials for non-volatile memories because of their ability to switch reversibly between an amorphous and a crystal phase. The volume change upon crystallization induces mechanical stress that needs to be understood and controlled. In this work, we monitor stress evolution during crystallization in thin GeTe films capped with SiO, using optical curvature measurements.