High-Q and Capacitance Ratio Multilayer Metal-on-Piezoelectric RF MEMS Varactors

Author

Pulskamp, Jeffrey S. ; Bedair, Sarah S. ; Polcawich, Ronald G. ; Meyer, Christopher D. ; Kierzewski, Iain ; Maack, Bryan

Author_Institution

U.S. Army Res. Lab., Adelphi, MD, USA

Volume

35

Issue

8

fYear

2014

fDate

Aug. 2014

Firstpage

871

Lastpage

873

Abstract

This letter documents the design and characterization of integrated and continuously tuned, radio frequency multilayer metal noncontact varactors with low-power, large-displacement, thin-film lead zirconate titanate (PZT) actuators. The devices, with capacitances in the 0.019-0.23-pF range, achieved high quality factors at the maximum capacitance state (Q = 100 at 8.7 GHz) and tuning ratios as high as 11.6:1 at 20 V actuation with nW-power consumption. The devices utilize three electroplated copper (Cu) layers ( ~10 μm per layer) directly fabricated on PZT microelectromechanical system actuators.

Keywords

Q-factor; electromechanical actuators; electroplating; micromechanical devices; piezoelectric devices; varactors; PZT; PZT actuators; PZT microelectromechanical system actuators; capacitance 0.019 pF to 0.23 pF; capacitance ratio; electroplated copper layers; high quality factors; high-Q; multilayer metal-on-piezoelectric RF MEMS varactors; radio frequency multilayer metal noncontact varactors; size 10 mum; thin-film lead zirconate titanate; voltage 20 V; Actuators; Capacitance; Electrodes; Micromechanical devices; Radio frequency; Varactors; Microelectromechanical devices; capacitors; microwave devices; piezoelectric devices; piezoelectric devices.; tunable devices;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Device Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0741-3106

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LED.2014.2327611

Filename

6832438