RF-MEMS design is made difficult due to the lack of tools capable of simulating both MEMS devices and their surrounding circuits. Often MEMS components can have structures more than 100 times smaller than the surrounding circuit. This paper presents FDTD based techniques that can be used to simulate large structures containing finely detailed components. Particularly, a split-cell modeling tech...

This paper reports on area-efficient, ultrawideband, MEMS-reconfigurable directional couplers, whose coupling is tuned by mechanically changing the geometry of 3D-micromachined coupled transmission lines, utilizing integrated MEMS electrostatic actuators. Devices have been fabricated in an SOI RF MEMS process. Furthermore, to the best knowledge of the authors, we report for the first time on co...

In this work a new design of a t u n a b l e c a p a c i t o r b a s e d o n microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology is presented. The design of high Qtunable capacitor has been accomplished through bulk micromachining process with all metal microstructure. A standard IC fabrication process (HP.5μ) is used to carry out the tunable capacitor. The main features of this high-Q MEMS tunable...

Low-loss microwave microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) shunt switches are reported that utilize highly compliant serpentine spring folded suspensions together with large area capacitive actuators to achieve low actuation voltages while maintaining sufficient off-state isolation. The RF MEMS switches were fabricated via a surface micromachining process using PI2545 Polyimide 1 as the sacrifici...

RF MEMS are commonly known as electrostatic devices using high electric field for their actuation. They can be exposed to transient voltages in any environment, and are very sensitive. According to this point of view, it is necessary to understand and analyze the degradations and failure criteria that can make them useless or reduce their lifetime. This paper deals with the investigation of ESD...

This work relates to a novel piezoelectric transformer to be used in an autonomous sensor unit, possibly in conjunction with a RF-MEMS retro-modulator.

The design of RF MEMS switches involves several disciplines: mechanics, materials science and electrical engineering. While significant progress has been made in the RF design of the switches, mechanical and material studies are required for mass commercialization of reliable devices. Senturia and co-workers at MIT have presented a closed form solution to describe the electromechanical behavior...