Abstract: A rapid testing read out integrated circuit (ROIC) includes phase-change material (PCM) radio frequency (RF) switches residing on an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Each PCM RF switch includes a PCM and a heating element transverse to the PCM. The ASIC is configured to provide amorphizing and crystallizing electrical pulses to a selected heating element in a selected PCM RF switch. The ASIC is also configured to generate data for determining and characterizing resistivity change of the selected heating element in the selected PCM RF switch after the ASIC performs a plurality of OFF/ON cycles. In one implementation, a testing method using the ASIC is disclosed.

Abstract: A rapid testing read out integrated circuit (ROIC) includes phase-change material (PCM) radio frequency (RF) switches residing on an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Each PCM RF switch includes a PCM and a heating element transverse to the PCM. The ASIC is configured to provide amorphizing and crystallizing electrical pulses to a selected PCM RF switch. The ASIC is also configured to generate data for determining and characterizing OFF state conductivity skew and ON state conductivity skew of the PCM in the selected PCM RF switch after the ASIC performs a plurality of OFF/ON cycles. In one implementation, a testing method using the ASIC is disclosed.

Abstract: In a method for wafer-to-wafer bonding, an integrated circuit (IC) wafer and a phase-change material (PCM) switch wafer are provided. The IC includes at least one active device, and has an IC substrate side and a metallization side. The PCM switch wafer has a heat spreading side and a radio frequency (RF) terminal side. A heat spreader is formed in the PCM switch wafer. In one approach, the heat spreading side of the PCM switch wafer is bonded to the metallization side of the IC wafer, then a heating element is formed between the heat spreader and a PCM in the PCM switch wafer. In another approach, a heating element is formed between the heat spreader and a PCM in the PCM switch wafer, then the RF terminal side of the PCM switch wafer is bonded to the metallization side of the IC wafer.

Abstract: In a first approach, a reconfigurable radio frequency (RF) filtering module includes a phase-change material (PCM) RF switch bank and an RF filter bank. Each RF filter in the RF filter bank is capable to be engaged and disengaged by a PCM RF switch in the PCM RF switch bank. In a second approach, a tunable RF filter includes PCM RF switches and a capacitor and/or an inductor. Each of the capacitor and/or inductor is capable to be engaged and disengaged by at least one PCM RF switch of the PCM RF switches. In a third approach, an adjustable passive component includes multiple segments and a PCM RF switch. A selectable segment in the multiple segments is capable to be engaged and disengaged by the PCM RF switch. In all approaches, each PCM RF switch includes a PCM and a heating element transverse to the PCM.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, an integrated passive device (IPD), and a phase-change material (PCM) radio frequency (RF) switch. The PCM RF switch includes a heating element, a PCM situated over the heating element, and PCM contacts situated over passive segments of the PCM. The heating element extends transverse to the PCM, with a heater line underlying an active segment of the PCM. The PCM RF switch is situated over a heat spreader that is situated over the substrate. The heat spreader and/or the substrate dissipate heat generated by the heating element and reduce RF noise coupling between the PCM RF switch and the IPD. An electrically insulating layer can be situated between the heat spreader and the substrate. In another approach, the PCM RF switch is situated over an RF isolation region that allows the substrate to dissipate heat and that reduces RF noise coupling.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) switch includes a phase-change material (PCM), a heating element underlying an active segment of the PCM and extending outward and transverse to the PCM, and RF terminals having lower metal portions and upper metal portions. At least one of the lower metal portions can be ohmically separated from and capacitively coupled to passive segments of the PCM, while the upper metal portions are ohmically connected to the lower metal portions. Alternatively, the lower metal portions can be ohmically connected to passive segments of the PCM, while a capacitor is formed in part by at least one of the upper metal portions. Alternatively, at least one of the RF terminals can have a trench metal liner separated from a trench metal plug by a dielectric liner. The trench metal liner can be ohmically connected to passive segments of the PCM, while the trench metal plug is ohmically separated from, but capacitively coupled to, the trench metal liner.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) switch includes a phase-change material (PCM), a heating element underlying an active segment of the PCM and extending outward and transverse to the PCM, a capacitive RF terminal, and an ohmic RF terminal. The capacitive RF terminal can include a first trench metal liner situated on a first passive segment of the PCM, and a dielectric liner separating the first trench metal liner from a first trench metal plug. The ohmic RF terminal can include a second trench metal liner situated on a second passive segment of the PCM, and a second trench metal plug ohmically connected to the second trench metal liner. Alternatively, the capacitive RF terminal and the ohmic RF terminal can include lower metal portions and upper metal portions. A MIM capacitor can be formed by the upper metal portion of the capacitive RF terminal, an insulator, and a patterned top plate.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) switch includes a heating element, a nugget, a phase-change material (PCM), and input/output contacts. The nugget comprises thermally conductive and electrically insulating material, and is situated on top of the heating element. The PCM has an active segment approximately situated over the nugget, and passive segments approximately situated under the input/output contacts. The PCM RF switch may include thermally resistive material adjacent to first and second sides of the heating element, and/or adjacent to first and second sides of the nugget.

Abstract: In fabricating a radio frequency (RF) switch, a phase-change material (PCM) and a heating element underlying an active segment of the PCM are provided. A contact uniformity support layer is formed over the PCM. The PCM and the contact uniformity support layer are patterned. A contact dielectric is formed over the contact uniformity support layer. Slot lower portions of PCM contacts are formed extending through the contact dielectric and through the contact uniformity support layer, and connected to passive segments of the PCM. Wide upper portions of the PCM contacts are formed over the contact dielectric and over the slot lower portions of the PCM contacts. The contact dielectric separates the wide upper portions of the PCM contacts from the heating element so as to reduce parasitic capacitance of the RF switch. The contact uniformity support layer maintains a substantially constant thickness of the passive segments of the PCM.

Abstract: In manufacturing a radio frequency (RF) switch, a heat spreader is provided. A first dielectric is deposited over the heat spreader. A trench is etched in the first dielectric. A heating element is deposited in the trench and over at least a portion of the first dielectric. A thermally conductive and electrically insulating material is deposited over at least the heating element, where the thermally conductive and electrically insulating material is self-aligned with the heating element. A conformability support layer is optionally deposited over the thermally conductive and electrically insulating material and the first dielectric. A phase-change material is deposited over the optional conformability support layer and the underlying thermally conductive and electrically insulating material and the first dielectric.

Abstract: A circuit according to the present application includes a diode or other non-linear device coupled to a heating element of a phase-change material (PCM) radio frequency (RF) switch. The diode or other non-linear device allows an amorphizing pulse or a crystallizing pulse to pass to a first terminal of the heating element. The diode or other non-linear device substantially prevents a pulse generator providing the amorphizing pulse or crystallizing pulse from interfering with RF signals at RF terminals of the PCM RF switch. In an array of PCM cells each including a diode or other non-linear device, the diode or other non-linear device substantially prevents sneak paths that would otherwise enable an amorphizing or crystallizing pulse intended for a heating element of a selected cell of the array to be provided to heating elements of unselected cells of the array.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) switch includes a heating element, an aluminum nitride layer situated over the heating element, and a phase-change material (PCM) situated over the aluminum nitride layer. An inside segment of the heating element underlies an active segment of the PCM, and an intermediate segment of the heating element is situated between a terminal segment of the heating element and the inside segment of the heating element. The aluminum nitride layer situated over the inside segment of the heating element provides thermal conductivity and electrical insulation between the heating element and the active segment of the PCM. The aluminum, nitride layer extends into the intermediate segment of the heating element and provides chemical protection to the intermediate segment of the heating element, such that the intermediate segment of the heating element remains substantially unetched and with substantially same thickness as the inside segment.

Abstract: A significantly reduced parasitic capacitance phase-change maternal (PCM) radio frequency (RF) switch includes an RF clearance zone including a step-wise structure of intermediate interconnect segments and vias to connect PCM contacts to setback top routing interconnects. The said RF clearance zone does not include cross-over interconnect segments. A low-k dielectric is situated in the RF clearance zone. A closed-air gap is situated in the RF clearance zone within the low-k dielectric. The setback top routing interconnects are situated higher over a substrate than the PCM contacts and the intermediate interconnect segments. The PCM RF switch may further include an open-air gap situated between the setback top routing interconnects.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) switching circuit includes stacked phase-change material (PCM) RF switches. The stacked PCM RF switches can include a high shunt capacitance PCM RF switch having its heating element contacts near its PCM contacts, and a low shunt capacitance PCM RF switch having its heating element contacts far from its PCM contacts. An RF voltage is substantially uniformly distributed between the high shunt capacitance PCM RF switch and the low shunt capacitance PCM RF switch. The stacked PCM RF switches can also include a wide heating element PCM RF switch having a large PCM active segment, and a narrow heating element PCM RF switch having a small PCM active segment. The wide heating element PCM RF switch will have a higher breakdown voltage than the narrow heating element PCM RF switch.

Abstract: In fabricating a semiconductor device, a shared material is formed in a resonator region of the semiconductor device and in a phase-change material (PCM) switch region of the semiconductor device. A portion of the shared material is removed to concurrently form a heat spreader comprising the shared material in the PCM switch region and a piezoelectric segment comprising the shared material in the resonator region. The piezoelectric segment in the resonator region and the heat spreader in the PCM switch region are situated at substantially the same level in the semiconductor device. The PCM switch region includes a heating element between the heat spreader and a PCM. The resonator region includes the piezoelectric segment between two electrodes.

Abstract: An IC (“integrated circuit”) chip includes a substrate and a phase-change material (PCM) radio frequency (RF) switch, having a heating element, a PCM situated over the heating element, and PCM contacts situated over passive segments of the PCM. The heating element extends transverse to the PCM and underlies an active segment of the PCM. An active device is situated in the substrate. In one approach, the PCM RF switch is situated over the substrate, and the substrate is a heat spreader for the PCM RF switch. In another approach, the PCM RF switch is situated in or above a first metallization level, and a dedicated heat spreader is situated under the PCM RF switch. Alternatively, a PCM RF switch is situated in a flip chip, an active device is situated in the IC chip, and the flip chip is situated over the IC chip forming a composite device.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) switch includes a heating element, a phase-change material (PCM) situated over the heating element, and PCM contacts situated over passive segments of the PCM. The heating element extends transverse to the PCM. The heating element can have a heater line underlying an active segment of the PCM. Alternatively, the heating element can have a split heater lines underlying an active segment of the PCM. The split heater lines increase an area of the active segment of the PCM and reduce a heater-to-PCM parasitic capacitance. A fan-out structure having fan-out metal can connect the heater line to a heater contact. The fan-out structure reduces heat generation outside the active segment of the PCM and reduces a heater contact-to-PCM parasitic capacitance. The fan-out structure can have dielectric segments interspersed between the fan-out metal to reduce dishing.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) switch includes a phase-change material (PCM) and a heating element underlying an active segment of the PCM, the PCM and heating element being situated over a substrate. A contact dielectric is over the PCM. PCM contacts have upper portions and uniform plate slot lower portions. The uniform plate slot lower portions have a total plate resistance RPLATE, and a total plate slot interface resistance RPLATE-INT. The upper portions have a total capacitance CUPPER to the uniform plate slot lower portions, and the PCM has a total capacitance CPCM to the substrate. The uniform plate slot lower portions significantly reduce a product of (RPLATE+RPLATE-INT) and (CUPPER+CPCM). As an alternative to the uniform plate slot lower portions, PCM contacts have segmented lower portions. The segmented lower portions significantly reduce CUPPER.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, an integrated passive device (IPD), and a phase-change material (PCM) radio frequency (RF) switch. The PCM RF switch includes a heating element, a PCM situated over the heating element, and PCM contacts situated over passive segments of the PCM. The heating element extends transverse to the PCM, with a heater line underlying an active segment of the PCM. The PCM RF switch is situated over a heat spreader that is situated over the substrate. The heat spreader and/or the substrate dissipate heat generated by the heating element and reduce RF noise coupling between the PCM RF switch and the IPD. An electrically insulating layer can be situated between the heat spreader and the substrate. In another approach, the PCM RF switch is situated over an RF isolation region that allows the substrate to dissipate heat and that reduces RF noise coupling.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate and a phase-change material (PCM) radio frequency (RF) switch, having a heating element, a PCM situated over the heating element, and PCM contacts situated over passive segments of the PCM. The heating element extends transverse to the PCM and underlies an active segment of the PCM. In one approach, the PCM RF switch is situated over the substrate, and the substrate is a heat spreader for the PCM RF switch. An integrated passive device (IPD) is disposed in an interlayer dielectric above the PCM RF switch, and is a metal resistor, a metal-oxide-metal (MOM) capacitor, and/or and inductor. In another approach, the PCM RF switch is disposed in an interlayer dielectric above the IPD, and the IPD is a poly resistor and/or a capacitor.