Scaleable vanadium dioxide switches with submillimeterwave bandwidth: VO2 switches with impoved RF bandwidth and power handling

Abstract

A new generation of vanadium dioxide phase change switches have been designed, fabricated, and characterized. These switches were designed to dramatically reduce on-state shunt-capacitance associated with the switch's heater while also increasing the off-state resistance. The result is a switch architecture whose channel dimensions can be scaled to increase power handling while maintaining unparalleled low loss. We will present SPST switches with on-state insertion loss < 1dB at 230GHz and power handling of 1W as well as switches with 5W of power handling and only 0.6 dB insertion loss at 67 GHz. We also present a MMIC SPDT switch having insertion loss < 0.6 dB and isolation > 35 dB from DC to 67 GHz while offering 1W power handling. A wide variety of SPNT switch designs is possible with MMW bandwidth. We have not identified any switch technology having reported superior bandwidth and low insertion loss.