Using MEMS Capacitive Switches in Tunable RF Amplifiers

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...

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...

Rf Mems: Switches and Tunable Capacitors

RF MEMS is a key enabling device technology with the potential for significant performance, cost, and integration benefits to communications and radar applications. An overview of MEMS RF switches and tunable capacitors is presented, with examples of device technologies developed at RSC. Examples of MEMS-based circuits, including tunable filters and phase shifter circuits, are provided to illus...

Structure dependent charging process in RF MEMS capacitive switches

The paper investigates the dependence of charging process on the dielectric charging of radiation induced defects in Si3N4 and SiO2 dielectric films, which are used in RF-MEMS switches. The radiation has been performed with 5 MeV alpha particles. The assessment has been carried out in Metal-Insulator-Metal capacitors with the thermally stimulated depolarization currents and discharge current tr...