RF MEMS Switches (rf + mem_switch)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Study on RF MEMS switch with four parallel Ohm contacts for power handling enhancement

MICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 3 2010
Zewen Liu
Abstract In this article, we present a recent study on enhancement of the power handling capability in wideband Ohm contact type RF MEMS switch. The series Ohm contact switch presents a very good wideband RF performance in the DC to 30 GHz. To improve its power handling capability, switch unit consisted of four parallel single Ohm contact (FPOC) had been designed, fabricated, and measured. In this way, the power handling capability can be improved because of the reduction of contact resistance. The measurement results reveal that the FPOC switch insertion loss is 0.1 dB at 4 GHz and 0.3 dB at 10 GHz; its isolations are 25 dB at 4 GHz and ,16 dB at 10 GHz. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 665,667, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25025 [source]


Reliability of capacitive RF MEMS switches at high and low temperatures

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RF AND MICROWAVE COMPUTER-AIDED ENGINEERING, Issue 4 2004
Yong Zhu
Abstract Some applications of RF MEMS switches, such as aircraft condition monitoring and distributed satellite communication, present a unique challenge for device design and reliability. This article examines these switches when operational temperatures in the range ,60°C to 100°C are envisioned. The basic operation of a capacitive MEMS switch is described and two tools for examining device reliability, modeling, and on-chip experimentation, are discussed in the case of capacitive MEMS switches. 1D, 2D, and 3D models are presented with emphasis on 3D coupled-field finite-element analysis, including temperature effects. Results and findings from the 3D simulations are reported. In particular, the advantages of employing corrugated membranes in the design of RF MEMS switches are assessed. Their performance in terms of reliability as a function of temperature is quantified. The effects of corrugation on the geometric parameters are discussed in the context of device-design optimization. In order to assess reliability experimentally, the M-test and the membrane deflection experiment (MDE) are reviewed due to their on-chip characteristic and simplicity. Ways in which these experimental/computational methodologies can be combined for identifying material properties and device performance is also highlighted. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 14: 317,328, 2004. [source]


RF MEMS-based tunable filters

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RF AND MICROWAVE COMPUTER-AIDED ENGINEERING, Issue 5 2001
James Brank
Abstract This paper overviews the application of RF MEMS switches in tunable filters as well as circuit developments for bandpass filters covering 110 MHz to 2.8 GHz. RF MEMS have several desirable features, including small size, low power requirements, and low loss. The basic operation of Raytheon's RF MEMS capacitive membrane switch is described. An overview of the technique used to integrate the switch into a variable capacitor structure with sixteen capacitance states is provided. Variable capacitor structures are used to construct multipole lumped bandpass filter designs, each with sixteen states. Finally, measured data from two representative five- and six-pole bandpass filters are presented. Characterization data demonstrates that the insertion loss for the five-pole filter using on-chip inductors was between 6.6 and 7.3 dB, and between 3.7 and 4.2 dB for the six-pole filter using off-chip inductors. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 11: 276,284, 2001 [source]