A Review on Material Selection Benchmarking in GeTe-Based RF Phase-Change Switches for Each Layer

Abstract

The global demand for radio frequency (RF) modules and components has grown exponentially in recent decades. RF switches are the essential unit in RF front-end and reconfigurable systems leading to the rapid development of novel and advanced switch technology. Germanium telluride (GeTe), as one of the Chalcogenide phase-change materials, has been applied as an RF switch due to its low insertion loss, high isolation, fast switching speed, and low power consumption in recent years. In this review, an in-depth exploration of GeTe film characterization is presented, followed by a comparison of the device structure of directly heated and indirectly heated RF phase-change switches (RFPCSs). Focusing on the prototypical structure of indirectly heated RFPCSs as the reference, the intrinsic properties of each material layer and the rationale behind the material selection is analyzed. Furthermore, the design size of each material layer of the device and its subsequent RF performance are summarized. Finally, we cast our gaze toward the promising future prospects of RFPCS technology.

Keywords

• chalcogenides
• RF phase-change switches
• GeTe
• RF performance
• thin films