MEMS design with separated electrodes for actuation and RF..

This paper presents the work realized on a new RF MEMS design for micro-switch application. This design relies on the separation between the commutation and actuation electrodes for improving the switch lifetime. The design can reduce electrical charging effects during the actuation by preventing a direct contact with the actuation electrode. The proposed structure is optimized by addressing key design points. In our simulation the residual stresses into the bi layer gold beam is taken into account in order to describe the experimental behaviour of the device. The optimized switch could be an excellent alternati ve in the search for reliable RF MEMS switches. Keyword : MEMS, RF switch, actuation, capacitance, dielectric insulation, residual stress.