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Layer‐Switching Mechanisms in Sb2Te3

Interfacial phase‐change memory (iPCM) based on layer‐structured Ge‐Sb‐Te crystals has been recently proposed, offering an energy‐efficient implementation of nonvolatile memory cells and supplementing the development of Ge‐Sb‐Te‐based phase‐change random access memories (PRAMs). Although the working principle of iPCM is still under debate, it is believed that layer‐switching plays a role in the switching process between the low‐resistance and high‐resistance states of iPCM memory cells. However, the role of Ge in forming swapped bilayers—the key elements for layer‐switching—is not yet clarified. This work manages to achieve layer‐switching in Sb2Te3 thin films by manipulating the formation of bilayer defects using magnetron sputtering and post‐thermal annealing. By combining scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) experiments with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the essential role of Sb‐Te intermixing is elucidated in stabilizing swapped bilayers at a low energy cost. In situ STEM experiments provide a real‐time and real‐space view of dynamical reconfiguration of van der Waals‐like gaps in Sb2Te3 thin films under electron‐beam irradiation. The results show that the Ge atoms are not necessary for the formation and motion of swapped bilayers, providing atomic insights on the layer‐switching mechanism in layer‐structured binary and ternary group V‐ and IV–V‐tellurides for memory applications.