Phase change material switch with improved thermal dissipation and methods for forming the same

Abstract

An embodiment phase change material (PCM) switch may include a PCM element having a first electrode and a second electrode, a heating element coupled to a first side of the PCM element, and a heat spreader formed on a second side of the PCM element opposite to the heating element. The PCM element may include a phase change material that switches from an electrically conducting phase to an electrically insulating phase by application of a heat pulse provided by the heating element. The first electrode, the second electrode, the PCM element, and the heat spreader may be configured as an RF switch that blocks RF signals when the phase change material element is the electrically insulating phase and conducts RF signals when the when the phase change material element is in the electrically conducting phase. The heat spreader may be electrically isolated from the heating element and the PCM element.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.