Patent ID: 11942929
Assignee: PSEMI CORPORATION
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC H

Claim 0:
1. A PCM driving arrangement for programming a state of a phase change material (PCM) switch, comprising:
a PCM switch comprising a heater and a volume of phase-change material coupled to the heater;
a driver circuit connected to the heater and configured to provide, to the heater, a first electrical pulse profile or a second electrical pulse profile, depending on a desired state to which the PCM switch is to be programmed; and
a logic and control circuit coupled to the driver and configured to program the PCM switch by providing:
a first control pulse to the driver when the PCM switch is to be programmed in an ON state in correspondence to the first electrical pulse profile, and
a second control pulse to the driver when the PCM switch is to be programmed in an OFF state in correspondence to the second electrical pulse profile,, wherein
the driver circuit is configured to drive the heater by providing:
a first driver pulse in correspondence with the first control pulse, the first driver pulse having a first driver pulse amplitude and a first driver pulse width corresponding to a first time interval, and
a second driver pulse in correspondence with the second control pulse, the second driver pulse having a second driver pulse amplitude and a second driver pulse width corresponding to a second time interval,

the second driver pulse amplitude is greater than the first driver pulse amplitude,
the second driver pulse width is shorter than the first driver pulse width, and
the PCM switch, the driver and the logic and control circuit are on the same chip.