US 12,268,103 B2
Phase change material switch with improved thermal confinement and methods for forming the same
Kuo-Pin Chang, Hsinchu (TW); Yu-Wei Ting, Taipei (TW); Tsung-Hao Yeh, Hsinchu (TW); Kuo-Chyuan Tzeng, Chu-Pei (TW); and Kuo-Ching Huang, Hsinchu (TW)
Assigned to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on Jun. 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/836,145.
Prior Publication US 2023/0403954 A1, Dec. 14, 2023
Int. Cl. H01L 45/00 (2006.01); H10N 70/00 (2023.01); H10N 70/20 (2023.01)
CPC H10N 70/8413 (2023.02) [H10N 70/063 (2023.02); H10N 70/231 (2023.02); H10N 70/823 (2023.02); H10N 70/8828 (2023.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A phase change material (PCM) switch, comprising:
a phase change material layer;
a first electrode contacting the phase change material layer;
a second electrode contacting the phase change material layer, wherein a signal pathway extends through the phase change material layer between the first electrode and the second electrode along a first direction;
a heater pad configured to heat a portion of the phase change material layer, the heater pad comprising a first side and a second side opposite the first side; and
a dielectric capping layer between a surface of the heater pad and the phase change material layer, the dielectric capping layer comprising a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein a first continuous side surface comprises the first side of the dielectric capping layer and the first side of the heater pad, and a second continuous side surface comprises the second side of the dielectric capping layer and the second side of the heater pad, and the first continuous side surface and the second continuous side surface extend along a second direction that is transverse to the first direction.