RF MEMS for low power wireless communications

RF MEMS (radio frequency micro-electro-mechanical systems) is a relatively new technology which has allowed the development of very low loss and highly linear switches and varactors, tunable circuits, and very high-Q (> 5000) silicon resonators. The applications are many, from switching different antenna modules or different filters for a quad-band telephone, to very low phase noise 19 MHz reference oscillators built entirely in silicon and with no external crystals, to tunable impedance circuits placed between the power amplifier and the antenna for maximum efficiency. Currently, there are several technologies which have achieved > 100 billion cycles of operation (for switches), and very low phase noise oscillators (for oscillators). The talk will summarize the latest development in the field, show possible field of use in multi-band tele-phones, and discuss the practical aspects of this technology (packaging, cost, reliability).