Compact Model of Dielectric Charging in RF MEMS Capacitive Switches
نویسندگان
چکیده
RF MEMS capacitive switches show great potential for use in wireless communication device. However, their widespread insertion in commercial products requires further improvements in their longterm reliability. Dielectric charging is one of the factors that impact switch reliability. Dielectric charging is understood to mean the accumulation of electric charge in the insulating dielectric layer between the two electrodes of the capacitive RF MEMS switch. It can cause the switch to either remain stuck after removal of the actuation voltage or to fail to contact under application of pull-in voltage. Considerable effort has been devoted to both the experimental characterization of dielectric charging and the development of models that can be used to predict the impact of dielectric charging on electro-mechanical behavior of a capacitive switch. This investigation has led to useful quantitative information that can be used for predictive assessment of performance degradation of an RF MEMS capacitive switch during operation. Such capability serves as a computer-aided accelerated testing of the switch.
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