Method for rapid testing of functionality of phase-change material (PCM) radio frequency (RF) switches

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11031689-B2
Application number	US-202016884775-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2020
Priority date	Aug 14, 2018
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A rapid testing read out integrated circuit (ROIC) includes phase-change material (PCM) radio frequency (RF) switches residing on an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Each PCM RF switch includes a PCM and a heating element transverse to the PCM. The ASIC is configured to provide amorphizing and crystallizing electrical pulses to a selected PCM RF switch. The ASIC is also configured to determine if the selected PCM RF switch is in an OFF state or in an ON state. In one implementation, a testing method using the ASIC is disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A testing method comprising:
providing phase-change material (PCM) radio frequency (RF) switches residing on an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC);
providing, through said ASIC, amorphizing or crystallizing electrical pulses selectively to each of said PCM RF switches;
substantially concurrently determining, by said ASIC, if each of said PCM RF switches is in an OFF state or in an ON state;
detecting an error, by said ASIC, in said OFF state or said ON state of a first PCM RF switch in said PCM RF switches.

2. The testing method of claim 1 , wherein said ASIC is configured to detect said error when said first PCM RF switch is not in said OFF state in response to said amorphizing electrical pulses or when said first PCM RF switch is not in said ON state in response to said crystallizing electrical pulses.

3. The testing method of claim 1 , further comprising storing said error in said ASIC.

4. The testing method of claim 1 , further comprising providing, by said ASIC, said error to an external probe.

5. The testing method of claim 4 , wherein said external probe is coupled to an automatic test equipment (ATE).

6. The testing method of claim 1 , wherein said ASIC comprises voltage pulse enable transistors configured to provide said amorphizing or crystallizing electrical pulses selectively to each of said PCM RF switches.

7. The testing method of claim 1 , wherein a voltage at a PCM contact of said first PCM RF switch is compared against an OFF state reference voltage (V RefOFF ) to determine whether said first PCM RF switch is in said OFF state in response to said amorphizing electrical pulses.

8. The testing method of claim 1 , wherein a voltage at a PCM contact of said first PCM RF switch is compared against an ON state reference voltage (V RefON ) to determine whether said first PCM RF switch is in said ON state in response to said crystallizing electrical pulses.

9. A testing method comprising:
providing an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) coupled to phase-change material (PCM) radio frequency (RF) switches;
providing amorphizing or crystallizing electrical pulses selectively to each of said PCM RF switches;
substantially concurrently determining, by said ASIC, if each of said PCM RF switches is in an OFF state or in an ON state;
detecting an error in said OFF state or said ON state of a first PCM RF switch in said PCM RF switches.

10. The testing method of claim 9 , further comprising storing said error in said ASIC.

11. The testing method of claim 9 , wherein said ASIC comprises voltage pulse enable transistors configured to provide said amorphizing or crystallizing electrical pulses selectively to each of said PCM RF switches.

12. The testing method of claim 9 , wherein said detecting said error comprises determining if said first PCM RF switch is in said OFF state or in said ON state by comparing a voltage at a PCM contact of said first PCM RF switch against a reference voltage.

13. The testing method of claim 12 , wherein said voltage at said PCM contact of said first PCM RF switch is compared against an OFF state reference voltage (V RefOFF ) to determine whether said first PCM RF switch is in said OFF state in response to said amorphizing electrical pulses.

14. The testing method of claim 12 , wherein said voltage at said PCM contact of said first PCM RF switch is compared against an ON state reference voltage (V RefON ) to determine whether said first PCM RF switch is in said ON state in response to said crystallizing electrical pulses.

15. A testing method comprising:
providing an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC);
electrically connecting said ASIC to phase-change material (PCM) radio frequency (RF) switches;
providing amorphizing or crystallizing electrical pulses selectively to each of said PCM RF switches;
substantially concurrently determining if each of said PCM RF switches is in an OFF state or in an ON state;
detecting an error in said OFF state or said ON state of a first PCM RF switch in said PCM RF switches.

16. The testing method of claim 15 , further comprising storing said error in said ASIC.

17. The testing method of claim 15 , further comprising providing, by said ASIC, said error to an automatic test equipment (ATE).

18. The testing method of claim 15 , wherein said ASIC comprises voltage pulse enable transistors configured to provide said amorphizing or crystallizing electrical pulses selectively to each of said PCM RF switches.

19. The testing method of claim 15 , wherein a voltage at a PCM contact of said first PCM RF switch is compared against an OFF state reference voltage (V RefOFF ) to determine whether said first PCM RF switch is in said OFF state in response to said amorphizing electrical pulses.

20. The testing method of claim 15 , wherein a voltage at a PCM contact of said first PCM RF switch is compared against an ON state reference voltage (V RefON ) to determine whether said first PCM RF switch is in said ON state in response to said crystallizing electrical pulses.

Assignees

• Newport Fab Llc

Inventors

• Howard David J
• Slovin Gregory P
• Ei-Hinnawy Nabil

Classifications

• G01R31/2884

  using dedicated test connectors, test elements or test circuits on the IC under test (G01R31/2855 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01R31/2637

  for testing other individual devices (G01R31/2608 - G01R31/2632, G01R31/27 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01R31/2822

  of microwave or radiofrequency circuits (of attenuation, gain, e.g. using network analyzers G01R27/28) · CPC title

• G01R31/2875

  related to heating · CPC title

• G01R31/3277 Primary

  of low voltage devices, e.g. domestic or industrial devices, such as motor protections, relays, rotation switches · CPC title