Power Handling Analysis of High-Power $W$ -Band All-Silicon MEMS Phase Shifters

This paper analyzes the power handling capability and the thermal characteristics of an all-silicon dielectric-block microelectromechanical-system (MEMS) phase-shifter concept, which is the first MEMS phase-shifter type whose power handling is not limited by the MEMS structures but only by the transmission line itself and by the heat-sink capabilities of the substrate, which enables MEMS phase-shifter technology for future high-power high-reliability applications. The power handling measurements of this concept are performed up to 43 dBm (20 W) at 3 GHz with an automatic gain-controlled setup, assisted by a large-signal network analyzer, and the temperature rises of the devices were measured with an infrared microscope camera. The measurement results are extended to 40 dBm at 75 GHz by calibrating electrothermal simulations with the measurements. A comparative study to conventional state-of-the-art MEMS phase-shifter concepts based on thin metallic bridges is carried out. The simulated results show that the all-silicon phase-shifter designs have the maximum temperature rise of only 30°C for 40 dBm at 75 GHz, which is 10-20 times less than conventional MEMS phase shifters of the comparable RF performance.