Broadband RF-MEMS Based SPDT

Author

DiNardo, Sergio ; Farinelli, Paola ; Giacomozzi, Flavio ; Mannocchi, Giovanni ; Marcelli, Romolo ; Margesin, Benno ; Mezzanotte, Paolo ; Mulloni, Viviana ; Russer, Peter ; Sorrentino, Roberto ; Vitulli, Francesco ; Vietzorreck, Larissa

Author_Institution

Alcatel Alenia Space Italia S.p.A., Roma

fYear

2006

fDate

10-15 Sept. 2006

Firstpage

1727

Lastpage

1730

Abstract

A broadband single pole double throw (SPDT) switch has been developed for use in the range of 0 to 30 GHz. The switch consists of a cascade of a MEMS ohmic series and a capacitive shunt switch with floating electrode in each branch. It is manufactured on high-resistive silicon using surface micro-machining technology. The SPDT switch provides an insertion loss better than -0.6 dB, return loss smaller than -20dB, and isolation better than -40 dB in nearly the whole band. A switching voltage around 50 V is needed. The switch is used as a building block for more complex switching networks. The fabrication process is described and the measured RF-performances are reported and discussed. A failure analysis exhibits a lifetime up to 10⁹ actuations

Keywords

UHF devices; failure analysis; micromachining; microswitches; microwave switches; 0 to 30 GHz; RF performances; SPDT; broadband RF-MEMS; broadband single pole double throw switch; capacitive shunt switch; coplanar waveguides; fabrication process; failure analysis; floating electrode; ohmic series; passive circuits; surface micromachining; Electrodes; Fabrication; Insertion loss; Isolation technology; Manufacturing; Micromechanical devices; Radiofrequency microelectromechanical systems; Silicon; Switches; Voltage; Coplanar waveguides; micro-electromechanical devices; micromachining; passive circuits; switches;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Microwave Conference, 2006. 36th European

Conference_Location

Manchester

Print_ISBN

2-9600551-6-0

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/EUMC.2006.281475

Filename

4058184