US 10,833,259 B2 · Method of manufacturing phase-change material (PCM) radio frequency (RF) switch using a chemically protective and thermally conductive layer

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.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method of manufacturing a radio frequency (RF) switch, the method comprising:

providing a heating element;
forming an aluminum nitride layer over said heating element;
forming a phase-change material (PCM) over said aluminum nitride layer such that said PCM defines an inside segment of said heating element underlying said PCM, and an intermediate segment of said heating element not underlying said PCM, said intermediate segment of said heating element situated between a terminal segment of said heating element and said inside segment of said heating element;
wherein said aluminum nitride layer at least partially extends over said intermediate segment of said heating element for providing chemical protection to said intermediate segment of said heating element;
forming a heating element contact situated over said terminal segment of said heating element, wherein said forming said heating element contact comprises using said aluminum nitride layer as an etch stop during an etching action.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

16/554,492Filed 28 Aug 2019 · division

Priority

14 Aug 2018

Published

US 2020/0058849 A120 Feb 2020

Granted

10 Nov 2020

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

H10N 70/231
Multistable switching devices, e.g. memristors: based on solid-state phase change, e.g. between amorphous and crystalline phases, Ovshinsky effect
H10N 70/823
Device geometry: adapted for essentially horizontal current flow, e.g. bridge type devices
H10N 70/021
Manufacture or treatment of multistable switching devices: formation of switching materials, e.g. deposition of layers
H10N 70/063
Shaping switching materials: by etching of pre-deposited switching material layers, e.g. lithography

Family

Application16/103,490Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 14 Aug 2018

Application16/103,646Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 14 Aug 2018

Application16/114,106Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 27 Aug 2018

Application16/163,881Parent of this division · filed 18 Oct 2018

US 2020/0058853 A1Pre-grant publication · published 20 Feb 2020

US 10,476,001 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part

Application16/163,881Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 10,475,993 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 10,707,125 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 10,944,052 B2Related patent

US 2020/0058849 A1Published application

US 2020/0058854 A1Published application

US 10,833,259 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Method of manufacturing phase-change material (PCM) radio frequency (RF) switch using a chemically protective and thermally conductive layer

Life of this patent

Method of manufacturing phase-change material (PCM) radio frequency (RF) switch using a chemically protective and thermally conductive layer

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16