State of the Art Sub-Terahertz Switching Solutions

In this paper the state of the art in RF switches for mm-wave frequency range is summarized and evaluated. Several leading technologies is presented from typical semiconductor devices based on transistors and diodes on Si, SiGe or III-V semiconductor substrates to more unconventional solutions such as microelectromechanical or phase-change material switches. The most important parameters and characteristics for those technologies are gathered and compiled for comparison. Besides different technologies, also various switch topologies of mm-wave switches are presented, assessed and compared. Furthermore, new emerging technological solutions approaching mm-wave range involving two-dimensional materials are also presented. Their evaluation is focused on proposed designs and current results for experimentally evaluated prototypes. Although the performance of these devices are currently not competitive with more traditional approaches, some reported results near the mm-wave range makes them a promising solution for future mm-wave switches and an interesting topic for further research and development.