Pyroelectric device for a semiconductor device
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsFu-Hai LI, Kuen-Yi CHEN, Yi Ching ONG, Kuo-Ching HUANG, Harry Hak Lay CHUANG
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Abstract
A pyroelectric generator may be included in the same semiconductor device as a radio frequency (RF) switch (e.g., a phase-change material (PCM) RF switch and/or other types of RF switch). The pyroelectric generator includes a pyroelectric material layer between two electrodes. The pyroelectric generator is configured to scavenge thermal energy that is generated during the operation of the RF switch, and to convert the thermal energy into electrical energy that may be stored and reused.
Claims20
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- a radio frequency (RF) switch;
- and
- a pyroelectric device adjacent to the RF switch.
The semiconductor device of claim 4, wherein the pyroelectric material layer comprises at least one of:
- a hafnium oxide (HfOx) material,
- a hafnium oxide material that is doped with one or more types of dopants,
- a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) material, or
- a strontium bismuth tantalate (SBT) material.
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- a phase change material (PCM) radio frequency (RF) switch;
- a pyroelectric device below the RF switch;
- and
- a plurality of conductive structures that electrically connect the pyroelectric device to a rectifier circuit.
A method, comprising:
- forming a first oxide layer over a substrate of a semiconductor device;
- forming a bottom electrode of a pyroelectric device over the first oxide layer;
- forming a pyroelectric material layer of the pyroelectric device over the bottom electrode;
- forming a top electrode of the pyroelectric device over the pyroelectric material layer;
- forming a second oxide layer of a phase change material (PCM) radio frequency (RF) switch over the top electrode of the pyroelectric device;
- forming a heater of the PCM RF switch in a recess in the second oxide layer;
- forming a PCM layer of the PCM RF switch over the heater;
- and
- forming a plurality of contacts of the PCM RF switch at least partially over the PCM layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.