Advanced rf mems switch devices using glass packaging. For these simulations, the gap height was set at 2. Comparision of mems switches with solid state switches 9. In this application note, basic operation principthe le and driving method for omrons mems switch 2smes01, that has an electrostatic actuator, will be described. A wide variety of mems devices is available, including sensors, actuators and switches. Its hermetic packaging provides high reliability under demanding conditions. In 30 is also shown that the life expectancy of mems switches with an electrostatic activation mechanism strongly depends on the magnitude of the applied voltage. Rf mems technology is a promising approach to addressing rf switches, which are key building blocks into radio frequency front. An rf mems switch is a specific type of memsbased device that can provide switch.
A dc voltage greater than the pullin voltage is applied across the switch, causing the bridge to collapse onto the dielectric layer with a resulting increase in the capacitance of the device. Memstm mini 1x8 nonlatching series fiber optic switch bidirectional, sm, mm, pm. A special attention is paid to the rf mems switches. Circuit equivalent of rf mems series contact switch. Low actuation voltage 3 volts, a capacitance ratio of around 7, an upstate capacitance of 20 ff and a high electrical quality factor 100 were achieved. Because it is a direct contact switch, it can be used in lowfrequency applications without compromising performance. This book covers both mechanical static and dynamicand electrical em modeling of the all important mems switch. Switching speed analysis of rf mems switch duepublico.
Micro electro mechanical systems mems have been developed since the 1970s for pressure and temperature sensors, accelerometers and other sensor devices the one main criterion of mems. Driving microelectromechanical systems mems with precision. A costeffective dccontact rf mems and the anchor of the switch are formed by the deposition of the copper cantilever switch on a pcb through the hole on the mask figure 1e. Rf mems switches and integrated switching circuits mems reference shelf. An introduction to mems microelectromechanical systems. Hence, guidelines can be incorporated in the design and fabrication process to effectively size critical components and forces to. Triangularshaped rf mems switched air gap capacitor in imec. These devices can switch at rf frequencies and tend to have high isolation, i.
However, both of them have shown promises in finding their niches in telecommunication networks. A2step optimization technique is proposedto achieve. Performance of lowloss rf mems capacitive switches ieee. Metal contact rf mems switches have received attention lately due to their potential applications in communications 1, general switching 2 and digital logic 3. In this study, the key material indices considered for mems capacitive switch are. Rfmems switches for reconfigurable integrated circuits. Txrx selection, reconfiguration of filters, of phase shifters or of antennas. Analog devices rf mems switches offer excellent reliability with superior precision and rf performance from 0 hz dc to 14 ghz.
The switch has three different operational states as shown in the figure. Mems technology micromachines enabling the all optical. Design of low actuation voltage rf mems switch sergio p. Wafer scale packaging results in a surface mount compatible switch with a footprint of only 2.
The power consumption of electrostatic rfmems switches is negligible and they. Mems nonlatching type series fiber optical switch 1x2, 2x2, dual 2x2, quad 1x1. Switches based systems using mems technology mems for radiofrequency systems provide mems based devices for rf systems. To reduce the power consumption, memsnems switch and mems. Mems switch designers with insights on how the interrelated effects of the contact resistance, the surface roughness of the contact surfaces and the contact pressure evolve. This page describes rf mems basics with applications and rf mems switch manufacturers. They are offered in standard surfacemount space saving lfcsp plastic packages. Bill laumeister, strategic applications engineer oct 04, 2012 abstract. Tilmani kacstintel consortium center of excellence in nanomanufacturing applications cena, riyadh, saudi arabia.
Think of rf mems as better switches, better variable capacitors. The lumentum 1xn switch, based on microelectromechanical systems mems technology, is a compact optical switch which provides optical signal connection between a single common fiber and n outputinput fibers. Capacitive switches have been presented by numerous authors 1, 2, and 3 and show excellent life time. Isbn 1844020207 an introduction to mems january 2002 an introduction to mems microelectromechanical systems mems has been identified as one of the most promising technologies for the 21st century and has the potential to revolutionize both industrial and consumer products by combining siliconbased microelectronics with. Mems is written as micro electro mechanical systems, it is the technology of very small devices that. A radiofrequency microelectromechanical system rfmems is a microelectromechanical systems with electronic components comprising moving submillimetersized parts that provide radiofrequency rf functionality. Both series and shunt mems switches have been considered. It is also presented a technique for modeling and design of inductivelytuned mems shunt switch. Green boxes are targeted areas where conventional switches can be replaced by rf mems switches or switch matrices. Rf mems basics this chapter provides the basic introduction to rf mems switches. In addition, achieving a high switching speed remains a major limitation. Denhoff1 1institute for microstructural sciences, national research council, ottawa, canada k1a 0r6 2electrical and computer engineering department, university of waterloo, waterloo, canada, n2l 3g1 dated. An efficient and proven way of implementing rf tunability. This model analyzes an rf mems switch consisting of a thin micromechanical bridge suspended over a dielectric layer.
Rf mems based switch matrices have several ad vantages compared to the mechanical or solidstate switch based ones for space applications. The design of a rf mems switch plays an important role and involves multidisciplinary skills. Rf mems mems devices capable of reconfiguring the rf characteristics of a device. Modeling and optimization design rfmems cantilever switches. This results in an optimal switch down capacitance and allows optimisation of the downup capacitance ratio all of which is not possible with conventional capacitive switches. Research and analysis of mems switches in different.
What you need to know structure and usage of omron mems switch 2smes01. Pdf on jan 1, 2011, rekha yadav and others published rf mems switches. Rf mems are such systems which interact with rf signal. The major part of this chapter is committed to the comparison of the rf mems switches with state of the art solid state. The use of mems for rf switching applications was first demonstrated in 1971 using bulk micromachined cantilever switches. Electromechanical considerations in developing lowvoltage rf. A survey of mems switch topologies and results will quickly get you up to.
Keywords dpdt, micro electromechanical systems, rf mems, seesaw, simulated, switch. Design and performance of a j band mems switch mdpi. Learn about analog devices breakthrough in mems switch technology enabling a leap forward in switch performance, reliability. There is a growing interest in terahertz components in the frequency from 100 ghz to 10 thz. Denhoff1 1institute for microstructural sciences, national research council, ottawa, canada k1a 0r6. European projects involving esa for space, or on packaging of rf mems with ommic large integrators such as thales, raytheon are often part of such programs. They require only a lowvoltage, lowcurrent power supply and have a fully independent parallel logic control interface. A comparison between rf mems switches and semiconductor switches. Two switch cells named type 1 and type 2, each has four and three mems switches respectively, are. It is shown that the special design of these switch devices enhances the contact force and the opening force dynamically and that no charging occurs over 1 billion switch cycles. Tentzeris and john papapolymerou school of electrical and computer engineering georgia institute of technology, atlanta, ga 303320250, usa abstract in this paper, we present an rf mems switch developed on a low cost, flexible liquid crystal. The fundamentals of analog devices revolutionary mems. Comparison of packaging technologies for rf mems switch. This paper presents an optimization design for rf mems cantilever directcontact switch to achieve maximum power handling capability, minimum pullin voltage and switch opening time simultaneously.
Although these characteristics are highly desired in rf applications, the high actuation voltage currently required to operate these switches. Design of a high power mems relay with zero voltage switching. A survey of mems switch topologies and results will quickly get you up to speed as to who is doing what. The rf design and modelling of the switch matrix using fullwave electromagnetic em. Dccontact mems series switches 7 eel6935 advanced mems 2005 h. May 23, 2014 this rf mems switch circuit uses an integrated structure for the dc ground pin9 on the input side and rf ground on the output side. Introduction to rf mems switch working and its applications. At last, a thin layer of aluminum al or chromium gold cr au is directly coated on the silicon structures using ebeam. As an example of rf devices, a capacitive mems switch for millimeterwave has been proposed. You will not find a more comprehensive treatment of rf mems in one place anywhere else. Rf mems switch is widely used for area of communication circuits systems and it enables identificationof micro size mechanical switches entrenched in electronics devices. Jan 07, 2014 these devices can switch at rf frequencies and tend to have high isolation, i. Spst, spdt or xpyt or be used in rf circuits phase shifters, filters.
Rf mems switches and integrated switching circuits mems reference shelf liu, aiqun on. Goldsmith, senior member, ieee, zhimin yao, member, ieee, susan eshelman, member, ieee, and david denniston, member, ieee abstract this letter details the construction and performance. It is the short form of micro electro mechanical systems. Low cost rf mems switches using lcp substrate guoan wang, dane thompson, emmanouil m.
Wispry tunable digital capacitor technology is an innovative method for dynamic tuning of antennas, impedance matching networks, integrating tunable filters, tunable duplexers, and fullytunable power amplifiers. The number of uses for microelectromechanical systems mems is growingthey allow us to. It usually consists of a micromechanical bridge or cantilever, a substrate, and an electrode or dielectric layer. Driving microelectromechanical systems mems with precision control by.
Sort of mechanical functionality whether or not these elements can move. Rf mems switches and varactors for wireless communication. In many of these devices, a key advantage of the mems devices compared to traditional semiconductor devices is electromechanical isolation. Therefore, the glass etching is a selfaligned process and need no additional mask. The ic technology for improving performance compatibility mandatory the low. Microelectromechanical systems mems technology is an evolving technology that allows device fabrication using components at a submillimeter scale 1 to 100 micrometers.
Rf mems have in general seen a remarkable growth in the past two decades due to the immense potentials in defense and commercial applications. Development of rf mems switches for high power applications jooyoung choi, junsu lee and stepan lucyszyn dept. In this thesis, a fully bicmos embedded rfmems switch for mmwave applications is. The rf mems switches are frequently used in microwave and radio frequency communication devices, such as transmitters and receivers, mode selection switch, antenna switch, etc.
The number of uses for microelectromechanical systems mems is growingthey allow us to do jobs once considered impossible. An example of a series mems contact switch, the rockwell science center mems relay, is shown in figure 4. A serpentine suspension was employed to build a low. An rf mems switch is an electromechanical component found in rf systems. Jun 15, 2015 micro electro mechanical systems mems have been developed since the 1970s for pressure and temperature sensors, accelerometers and other sensor devices the one main criterion of mems. Comparison of packaging technologies for rf mems switch deepak bansal1, 2,amitkumar1, 2,premkumar1, maninder kaur1, and kamaljit rangra1, 2 abstractthe present paper describes an integrated approach for design, fabrication and encapsulation of rf mems switches in view of the optimal performance subsequent to packaging. Mems are ic devices which will have both electrical as well as mechanical components. An rf mems switch utilizes mechanical movement of switch beam to achieve a short or an open circuit in. In a further section, reliability issues are addressed. These switches are the unambiguous micro mechanical switches that are intended to operate at rf to mm wave frequencies, which mean 0. This paper will discuss some aspects of the operation of rf mems switches and how they may be inserted into microwave circuitry to best advantage.
This tutorial explains the applications for mems and the increasing. Design of a novel bulk micromachined rf mems switch. In addition, achieving a high switching speed remains a. Rf functionality can be implemented using a variety of rf technologies. Pdf design and simulation of low actuation voltage. Rf mems switches for reconfigurable ics 1869 adjustment of a separate rf device or component, such as a variable capacitor. Over the last decade, a large number of papers have been published on the development of rf mems devices mainly focusing on the rf mems switches as a basic building block for more complex applications. Mechanical systems are switches and variable capacitors, which are used in the front. Mems is written as micro electro mechanical systems. Index termslow actuation voltage, microelectromechanical systems mems switches, residual stress, spring constant, switching speed, topelectrode switches. Mems switch boost converter dc34v if connecting in. This paper proposes miniaturized rf mems switch cell units for wideband scalable switch matrices. Design and simulation of low actuation voltage perforated rf mems switch. By having a mems mirror popup or bisect the light beam during actuation, light is directed or switched from one fiber.
Nguyen2 1radiation laboratory and 2center for microsystems department of electrical engineering and computer science university of michigan ann arbor, michigan 481092122 usa abstract lowloss microwave microelectromechanical systems. By this, we mean that the rf circuit does not leak or couple. Rf mems switches can be equipped with antenna design to make an antenna recon. The fundamentals of analog devices revolutionary mems switch technology. Switches are deemed to be key components among the rf mems, and are used for manifold applications e. A capacitive rf mems shunt switch shinji kobayashi, hiroshi kawai murata manufacturing co. Analytical approach in the development of rf mems switches. The switch building block of these type of matrices are either ctype or r type switches 10. Development of rf mems switches for high power applications. In an rf mems switch, the thickness of the silicon hinge is one of the key factors affecting the performance of the switch. Rf mems basics rf mems switch manufacturers vendors. Radiofrequency microelectromechanical system wikipedia. Mason page 4 example mems based microsystem microcontroller rf transmitter pressure sensor humidity sensor onoff switch io connector accelerometer power management interface chips 60mm 35mm integrated featurescontrolmicrocontrollerpower managementcommunication rf transceiversensingpressure humidity.
Rfmems switches with aln dielectric and their applications. During the turnon and turnoff transition, mosfet is turned on at first to guarantee the switching voltage of mems switch is almost zero. Nguyen2 1radiation laboratory and 2center for microsystems department of electrical engineering and computer science university of michigan. Pdf boosted rfmems capacitive shunt switches semantic. Operating temperature 5 70 switching type nonlatching oc.
A comprehensive study on rf mems switch article pdf available in microsystem technologies 2012 august 2014 with 3,218 reads how we measure reads. In this paper, we introduce the research status of mems switches in different bands and several reliability issues, such as dielectric charging, contact failure, and temperature instability. The rf mems switch promises integration onto a variety of substrates, including substrates bearing active semiconductor devices. Milosavljevic abstract an overview of the mems technology development and applications is given in this paper.
Eliminates switch loss better insertion loss mediumqresonator needs rf mems filters, dr. The simulation attained a working switch design with an airgap of 1m between the contacts, thus providing isolation while the switch is opencircuited. Capacitive shunt switches capacitive series switches dccontact shunt switches. A comparison between rf mems switches and semiconductor switches p. Triangularshaped rf mems switched air gap capacitor in. Switching type nonlatching c mems nonlatching type. Its been obvious for decades that the microelectromechanical systems mems switch could potentially replace pin diode. Limited availability of mems products still limited adoption of mems technology. These two technologies have striking differences in terms of how they are controlled and their ability to redirect light beams. Surface roughness, asperity contact and gold rf mems. An overview of rf mems switches free download as powerpoint presentation. Lets take a look at how you can use comsol multiphysics to simulate an rf mems switch.