Reducing the stochasticity of crystal nucleation to enable subnanosecond memory writing

Fast phase change with no preconditions Random access memory (RAM) devices that rely on phase changes are primarily limited by the speed of crystallization. Rao et al. combined theory with a simple set of selection criteria to isolate a scandium-doped antimony telluride (SST) with a subnanosecond crystallization speed (see the Perspective by Akola and Jones). They synthesized SST and constructed a RAM device with a 700-picosecond writing speed....