Reconfigurable geometric metasurfaces with optically tunable materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11804656-B2
Application number	US-202117371975-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2021
Priority date	Jul 25, 2019
Publication date	Oct 31, 2023
Grant date	Oct 31, 2023

Abstract

A semiconductor structure comprises a substrate, a patch of optically tunable material disposed over the substrate, a first electrode coupled to the patch of optically tunable material and a switch providing a current source, and a second electrode coupled to the patch of optically tunable material and a ground voltage. The first electrode and the second electrode are configured to modify a state of the patch of optically tunable material to adjust a reflectivity of the patch of optically tunable material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor structure comprising:
a substrate;
a patch of optically tunable material disposed over the substrate;
a first electrode coupled to the patch of optically tunable material and a switch providing a current source;
a second electrode coupled to the patch of optically tunable material and a ground voltage; and
a transparent conductor disposed above the patch of optically tunable material, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode abuts the transparent conductor;
wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are configured to modify a state of the patch of optically tunable material to adjust a reflectivity of the patch of optically tunable material.

2. The semiconductor structure of claim 1 , wherein the patch of optically tunable material comprises a chalcogenide phase-change material, and wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are configured to modify the state of the chalcogenide phase-change material via heating to change the chalcogenide phase-change material between an amorphous and a crystalline phase.

3. The semiconductor structure of claim 2 , wherein the chalcogenide phase-change material comprises at least one of germanium antinomy telluride, germanium telluride, antimony telluride and silver antimony telluride.

4. The semiconductor structure of claim 1 , wherein the optically tunable material comprises an electrically tunable plasmonic material.

5. The semiconductor structure of claim 4 , wherein the electrically tunable plasmonic material comprises at least one of graphene, carbon nanotubes, a metal oxide and a metal nitride.

6. The semiconductor structure of claim 1 , wherein the optically tunable material comprises a metal-insulator transition material.

7. The semiconductor structure of claim 6 , wherein the metal-insulator transition material comprises vanadium oxide.

8. The semiconductor structure of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first dielectric layer disposed between the substrate and the patch of optically tunable material;
a second dielectric layer disposed over the patch of optically tunable material; and
the transparent conductor disposed over the second dielectric layer;
wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are disposed over the transparent conductor at opposite ends of the patch of optically tunable material.

9. The semiconductor structure of claim 8 , further comprising a metal mirror disposed between the substrate and the first dielectric layer.

10. A semiconductor structure comprising:
a substrate;
a patch of optically tunable material disposed over the substrate;
a first electrode coupled to the patch of optically tunable material and a switch providing a current source; and
a second electrode coupled to the patch of optically tunable material and a ground voltage;
wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are configured to modify a state of the patch of optically tunable material to adjust a reflectivity of the patch of optically tunable material; and further comprising:
a first transparent conductor disposed between the substrate and the patch of optically tunable material;
a second transparent conductor disposed over the patch of optically tunable material;
a first insulator layer disposed over the substrate adjacent a first end of the patch of optically tunable material; and
a second insulator layer disposed over the substrate adjacent a second end of the patch of optically tunable material;
wherein the first electrode is disposed over the first insulator layer and the second electrode is disposed between the substrate and the second insulator layer.

11. The semiconductor structure of claim 10 , further comprising a metal mirror disposed between the substrate and the first insulator layer, the first transparent conductor and the second insulator layer, the metal mirror acting as the second electrode.

12. The semiconductor structure of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more additional patches of optically tunable material; and
one or more additional electrodes coupled to respective ones of the one or more additional patches of optically tunable material and one or more additional switches providing one or more additional current sources;
wherein each of the one or more additional patches of optically tunable material is coupled to the second electrode providing the ground voltage; and
wherein the second electrode and the one or more additional electrodes are configured to modify states of the one or more additional patches of optically tunable material to adjust reflectivity of the one or more additional patches of optically tunable material.

13. The semiconductor structure of claim 12 , wherein the patch of optically tunable material and the one or more additional patches of optically tunable material provide a group of antennas.

14. The semiconductor structure of claim 13 , wherein the group of antennas comprises a center point at which first ends of the patch of optically tunable material and the one or more additional patches of optically tunable material are coupled to the second electrode providing the ground voltage.

15. The semiconductor structure of claim 14 , wherein second ends of the patch of optically tunable material and the one or more additional patches of optically tunable material are spaced apart from one another.

16. The semiconductor structure of claim 15 , wherein the second ends of the patch of optically tunable material and the one or more additional patches of optically tunable material are substantially equally spaced apart from one another.

17. An integrated circuit comprising:
a semiconductor structure comprising:
a substrate;
a plurality of patches of optically tunable material disposed over the substrate;
a plurality of first electrodes coupled to the plurality of patches of optically tunable material and a plurality of switches providing current sources;
at least one second electrode coupled to the plurality of patches of optically tunable material and a ground voltage; and
a transparent conductor disposed above the patch of optically tunable material, wherein at least one of the plurality of first electrodes and said at least one second electrode abuts the transparent conductor;

wherein the plurality of first electrodes and said at least one second electrode are configured to modify state of the plurality of patches of optically tunable material to adjust reflectivity of respective ones of the plurality of patches of optically tunable material.

18. The integrated circuit of claim 17 , wherein at least three of the plurality of patches of optically tunable material provide a group of antennas, the group of antennas comprising a center point at which first ends of said at least three of the plurality of patches of optically tunable material are coupled to the at least one second electrode providing the ground voltage.

19. The integrated circuit of claim 18 , wherein second ends of said at least three of the plurality of patches of optically tunable material are spaced apart from one another.

20. The integrated circuit of claim 19 , wherein the second ends of said at least three of the plurality of patches of optically tunable material are substantially equally spaced apart from one another.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Falk Abram L
• Rosenberg Jessie Carrigan
• Lai Kafai
• Farmer Damon Brooks

Classifications

• H01Q9/0442 Primary

  with particular tuning means · CPC title

• H01Q3/30

  varying the {relative} phase {between the radiating elements of an array (H01Q3/2605, H01Q3/2658, H01Q3/2682, H01Q3/44 take precedence)} · CPC title

• H01Q3/44

  varying the electric or magnetic characteristics of reflecting, refracting, or diffracting devices associated with the radiating element · CPC title

• H01Q15/0086 Primary

  said selective devices having materials with a synthesized negative refractive index, e.g. metamaterials or left-handed materials · CPC title

• H01Q21/065

  Patch antenna array · CPC title