Phase-change materials for reconfigurable RF applications

In this talk, we report on GeTe RF switches on silicon substrate with state-of-the-art switch figure-of-merit of ~14 femtosecond or 11 THz, ~20x greater than all of current FET switches. This was accomplished using an embedded refractory micro-heater with reduced parasitics. The spectral responses of the GeTe-based RF switches were tested for the first time under W-CDMA signals. With a 15 dBm interferer, we did not see spectral regrowth of the switches. Under single tone, the harmonic powers were at 90 dBc at 35 dBm with GeTe width of 150 μm. While at a very early development stage, we report that GeTe PCM RF switches are a promising technology upon improved reliability for future wireless RF front-ends.