Kelvin probe microscopy for reliability investigation of RF-MEMS capacitive switches

Kelvin probe microscopy for reliability investigation of RF-MEMS capacitive switches

In this work, we investigate the charging and reliability of interlayer dielectric materials that are used in the fabrication process of advanced RF-MEMS switches. In particular, the charge stored on the surface of a dielectric and the dynamic of this charge at Nanometric scale are studied. More attention is given to the decay of the deposited charge by a variety of means: (1) surface conductio...

Time Characterization of Capacitive Mems Rf Switches

Mechanical Design of RF MEMS Capacitive Switches

 This paper analyses the mechanical behaviour of various suspensions of electrostatically actuated RF MEMS switches. A family of capacitive switches is described, with suspensions varying step by step from cantilevers to meander shaped double clamped beams. The result is a capacitive shunt switch with a designed actuation voltage of 4.5 V, and 20dB isolation and 0.04 dB insertion loss at a fre...

ESD effects in capacitive RF MEMS switches

RF MEMS have shown very attractive characteristics in automotive, communication, aeronautic and aerospace applications, thanks to its low mass and volume, low losses, low power consumption, high isolation and a wide operative frequency range. Moreover they have demonstrated good integration with electronics which show their ability to built-in innovative RF architectures [1]. Nevertheless the a...

Effect of Humidity on Dielectric Charging Process in Electrostatic Capacitive RF MEMS Switches Based on Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy Surface Potential Measurements

In this article we investigate the effect of relative humidity on dielectric charging/discharging processes in electrostatically actuated MEMS devices. The assessment procedure is based on surface potential measurements using Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM) and it targets in this specific work PECVD silicon nitride films in view of application in electrostatic capacitive RF MEMS switches. ...