MEMS-Based Reconfigurable RF Circuits for Future Mobile Terminals

Reconfigurable radio frequency (RF) circuits will be the predominant solution for future mobile terminals. Recent progress in RF-microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices has bolstered the hope for the implementation of high-performance reconfigurable RF circuits. This paper presents configurations for a novel band-reconfigurable power amplifier, a reconfigurable isolator, and a resonator for a center frequency and bandwidth tunable filter. These RF circuits were prototyped. The reconfigurable power amplifier using MEMS switches achieves comparable performance to that of a single-band power amplifier in four different frequency bands. The isolator and the resonator prototypes confirm the feasibility of the proposed configuration. These reconfigurable RF circuits will contribute to band-free operation in future mobile terminals.