2026/07/13 by Shaojie Yuan, Pandeng Xuan, Mei‐Yan Xu +1 · 1 voice
Materials Science · Engineering · #Phase-change materials and chalcogenides #Advanced Memory and Neural Computing #2D Materials and Applications
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s40820-026-02279-5
openalex publication_date 2026/07/13 · openalex created_date 2026/07/13 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/27
Abstract Ovonic threshold switching selectors are indispensable for suppressing sneak currents in dense cross-point memories, but most established selector materials still rely on multicomponent chalcogenides with persistent trade-offs in leakage current, reliability, and compositional stability. Recent progress in elemental switching materials is beginning to change this picture. A new study identifies amorphous selenium as a highly effective selector, combining an ultralow leakage current of 4 × 10 –12 A, an on/off ratio above 10 8 , a drive current density of 21.2 MA cm –2 , nanosecond-scale switching, and endurance up to 2 × 10 9 cycles. More importantly, spectroscopy and theory connect these metrics to a charge-triggered mechanism rooted in dense trap pairs in the amorphous network. These states strongly pin the Fermi level in the off-state, while field-induced carrier release near threshold drives abrupt conduction. Beyond introducing a new selector material, this work suggests that monatomic chalcogens may provide a cleaner platform for understanding and engineering threshold switching, with fewer complications from phase segregation, cation migration, and chemical overdesign.