Non-volatile RF and mm-wave Switches Based on Monolayer hBN

Abstract

Non-volatile radio-frequency (RF) switches based on hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) are realized for the first time with low insertion loss (≤ 0.2 dB) and high isolation (≥ 15 dB) up to 110 GHz. Crystalline hBN enables the thinnest RF switch device with a single monolayer (~0.33 nm) as the memory layer owing to its robust layered structure. It affords ~20 dBm power handling, 10 dB higher compared to MoS2 switches due to its wider bandgap (~6 eV). Importantly, operating frequencies cover the RF, 5G, and mm-wave bands, making this a promising low-power switch for diverse communication and connectivity front-end systems. Compared to other switch technologies based on MEMS, memristor, and phase-change memory (PCM), hBN switches offer a promising combination of non-volatility, nanosecond switching, power handling, high figure-of-merit cutoff frequency (43 THz), and heater-less ambient integration. Our pioneering work suggests that atomically-thin nanomaterials can be good device candidates for 5G and beyond.