Switch Stacking for OFF-State Power Handling Improvements in PCM RF Switches

Dielectric Properties of Phase Change Thin Films at Millimeter Waves

“…The magnetron sputtering technique can be used to obtain PCM layers up to several micrometers in thickness, however the time required to film's fabrication with these thicknesses can be considerable long. We therefore explored films properties with thicknesses under or around micrometer range, which were previously show to be adapted for integration in devices for millimeter-wave domain [10]- [15].This magnetron sputtering technique can be used to depose PCM layers up to several micrometers in thickness, however the time required to depose layers in the micrometer range can be considerable long, therefore we decided to explore the sub-micrometer range. Samples 1 and 3 correspond to devices with a GeTe layer having a thickness of 500 nm and sample 2 correspond to devices with GeTe layer of 800 nm.…”

“…In particular, germanium telluride (GeTe) phase change materials act as a very efficient RF switch by changing its resistance by more than six orders of magnitude between an amorphous, high-resistivity phase to a low-resistivity, crystalline one, under temperature, electrical or optical excitations. PCM-based RF switches have high isolation in the OFF state of up to 20 dB and low insertion loss in the ON state of less than 3 dB (depending on the size of the PCM switch), good power handling up to 34 dBm [10], low power consumption and a figure of merit greater than or equal to current switching technologies based on semiconductor devices [11]- [14]. Other compositions such as germanium antimonium telluride (Ge2Sb2Te5, abbreviated GST) or antimonium telluride (SbTe) have also been studied as they have similar properties to those of GeTe compositions [15][16].…”