Ion irradiation-induced local structural changes in amorphous Ge(2)Sb(2)Te(5) thin film

The crystallization kinetics of as-deposited and ion implanted amorphous Ge(2)Sb(2)Te(5) thin films has been measured by time resolved reflectivity. An enhancement of the crystallization process occurred in the implanted samples. Raman scattering analysis was used to correlate the stability of the amorphous phase to its structure. The variation of the Raman signal after ion irradiation is consistent with a reduction in Ge-Te tetrahedral bonds, characteristic of the Ge coordination in amorphous Ge(2)Sb(2)Te(5).