Electrothermally Actuated RF MEMS Switches Suspended on a Low-Resistivity Substrate

• Published in: Journal of microelectromechanical systems Vol. 16; no. 5; pp. 1061 - 1070
• Main Authors: Girbau, D., Pradell, L., Lazaro, A., Nebot, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.10.2007; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE); IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC
• Subjects: Actuators; Applied sciences; Circuit properties; Communication switching; Contact; contact forces; Devices; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronics; Electrothermal actuator; Electrothermal effects; electrothermally actuated lateral resistive-contact switch; electrothermally actuated RF MEMS switches; Enginyeria electrònica; Exact sciences and technology; frequency 1 GHz; frequency 6 GHz; Insertion loss; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; loss -0.26 dB; loss -0.65 dB; loss -25 dB; loss -29 dB; Loss measurement; low-gigahertz-band communication systems; low-resistivity substrate; Manufacturing; Mechanical instruments, equipment and techniques; metal electrothermal actuator; Microelectromechanical systems; microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switch; microelectromechanical systems switch; Microelectrònica; Micromechanical devices and systems; microswitches; Microwave circuits, microwave integrated circuits, microwave transmission lines, submillimeter wave circuits; microwave switches; Noise levels; Physics; polysilicon electrothermal actuators; Radio frequencies; Radio frequency; Radiofrequency microelectromechanical systems; RF power handling characteristics; Sistemes microelectromecànics; Strategy; Switches; system on chip; System-on-a-chip; system-on-chip concept; Àrees temàtiques de la UPC; GHz range; system on chip; Electrothermics; low-resistivity substrate; System on a chip; Large displacement; Metal; Radiofrequency; Electrothermal actuator; Active system; microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switch; Microwave circuit; Polysilicon; Selector switch; Microelectromechanical device
• ISSN: 1057-7157; 1941-0158
• DOI: 10.1109/JMEMS.2007.904744

This paper presents an electrothermally actuated lateral resistive-contact switch for application to low-gigahertz-band communication systems. It was manufactured on a standard low-resistivity substrate, and its RF performance was improved by suspending the structures 25 ¿m from the substrate, which is a strategy for future integration with active devices in the system-on-chip concept. Measured insertion losses are -0.26 dB at 1 GHz and -0.65 dB at 6 GHz, return losses are -29 dB at 1 GHz and -25 dB at 6 GHz, and isolations are -52 dB at 1 GHz and -26 dB at 6 GHz. The device is driven by a metal electrothermal actuator, which achieves large displacements and contact forces at much lower temperatures than traditional polysilicon electrothermal actuators. The RF power handling characteristics are also addressed and measured.