Abstract: In fabricating a radio frequency (RF) switch, a phase-change material (PCM) and a heating element, underlying an active segment of the PCM and extending outward and transverse to the PCM, are provided. Lower portions of PCM contacts for connection to passive segments of the PCM are formed, wherein the passive segments extend outward and are transverse to the heating element. Upper portions of the PCM contacts are formed from a lower interconnect metal. Heating element contacts are formed cross-wise to the PCM contacts. The heating element contacts can comprise a top interconnect metal directly connecting with terminal segments of the heating element. The heating element contacts can comprise a top interconnect metal and intermediate metal segments for connecting with the terminal segments of the heating element.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) switching circuit includes stacked phase-change material (PCM) RF switches. Each of the PCM RF switches includes a PCM, a heating element transverse to the PCM, and first and second heating element contacts. The first heating element contact is coupled to an RF ground, and the second heating element contact may also be coupled to an RF ground. Each of the PCM RF switches can also include first and second PCM contacts. A compensation capacitor can be coupled across the first and second PCM contacts in at least one of the PCM RIF switches.

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 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 radio frequency (RF) switch includes a stressed phase-change material (PCM) and a heating element underlying an active segment of the stressed PCM and extending outward and transverse to the stressed PCM. In one approach, at least one transition layer is situated over the stressed PCM. An encapsulation layer is situated over the at least one transition layer and on first and second sides of the stressed PCM. A stressor layer is situated over the encapsulation layer and the said stressed PCM. Alternatively or additionally, contacts of the RF switch extend into passive segments of a PCM, wherein adhesion layers adhere the passive segments of the PCM to the contacts.

Abstract: In fabricating a radio frequency (RF) switch, a phase-change material (PCM) and a heating element, underlying an active segment of the PCM and extending outward and transverse to the PCM, are provided. Lower portions of PCM contacts for connection to passive segments of the PCM are formed, wherein the passive segments extend outward and are transverse to the heating element. Upper portions of the PCM contacts are formed from a lower interconnect metal. Heating element contacts are formed cross-wise to the PCM contacts. The heating element contacts can comprise a top interconnect metal directly connecting with terminal segments of the heating element. The heating element contacts can comprise a top interconnect metal and intermediate metal segments for connecting with the terminal segments of the heating element.

Abstract: In fabricating a radio frequency (RF) switch, a phase-change material (PCM) and a heating element, underlying an active segment of the PCM and extending outward and transverse to the PCM, are provided. Lower portions of PCM contacts for connection to passive segments of the PCM are formed, wherein the passive segments extend outward and are transverse to the heating element. Upper portions of the PCM contacts are formed from a lower interconnect metal. Heating element contacts are formed cross-wise to the PCM contacts. The heating element contacts can comprise a top interconnect metal directly connecting with terminal segments of the heating element. The heating element contacts can comprise a top interconnect metal and intermediate metal segments for connecting with the terminal segments of the heating element.

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 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 determine if the selected PCM RF switch is in an OFF state or in an ON state. In one implementation, a testing method using the ASIC is disclosed.

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 semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor mesa situated on a semiconductor substrate, a trap-rich region comprising polycrystalline silicon adjacent to the semiconductor mesa, and a phase-change material (PCM) radio frequency (RF) switch. A heating element of the PCM RF switch is situated over the semiconductor mesa. An interconnect segment coupled to the PCM RF switch is situated over the trap-rich region. Alternatively, a semiconductor structure can include a trap-rich region adjacent to a single crystal region of the semiconductor substrate, where the trap-rich region is formed by implant damaging, and where the heating element of the PCM RF switch is situated over the single crystal region.

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: 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. The PCM RF switch may include a heat valve under the heating element.

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: 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: 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: 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 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: In fabricating a radio frequency (RF) switch, a phase-change material (PCM) and a heating element, underlying an active segment of the PCM and extending outward and transverse to the PCM, are provided. Lower portions of PCM contacts for connection to passive segments of the PCM are formed, wherein the passive segments extend outward and are transverse to the heating element. Upper portions of the PCM contacts are formed from a lower interconnect metal. Heating element contacts are formed cross-wise to the PCM contacts. The heating element contacts can comprise a top interconnect metal directly connecting with terminal segments of the heating element. The heating element contacts can comprise a top interconnect metal and intermediate metal segments for connecting with the terminal segments of the heating element.

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.