A critical evaluation of a thermal mechanism of switching

Experiments concerning dynamic aspects of threshold switching in devices employing chalcogenide glasses are compared with `computer experiments' based upon a simple one-dimensional thermal theory. Despite the inadequacies of the one-dimensional description, a good semiquantitative agreement with experiments in high and intermediate temperature regions suggests that the thermal mechanism of switching is operative under these conditions. Departure from the predictions of the thermal model at low temperatures (less, similar - 70°C) is pointed out and discussed.