A high power (>5 W) temperature stable RF MEMS metal-contact switch with orthogonal anchors and force-enhancing stoppers

Summary form only given, as follows. This paper presents a temperature stable metal-contact RF MEMS switch capable of handling 5 W of RF power. The device achieves 0.7–1.5 mN of contact force for actuation voltages of 80–90V and a restoring force of 0.63 mN. Furthermore, the device is insensitive to stress effects and temperature. Temperature measurements show excellent thermal stability and pull-in voltage shift of only 4 V from 25–125 Celsius. The switch was tested under prolonged (∼24 hrs) high-power conditions and showed excellent reliability.