Heat-based recovery mechanism to counteract stiction of RF-MEMS switches

Stiction of MEMS (microelectromechanical system) switches for RF (radio frequency) applications is a critical issue as it may jeopardize temporarily or permanently the operability of such devices. In this work we present a novel mechanism to enable the self-recovery of RF-MEMS switches in case of stiction. It is based on the application of a restoring force on the stuck membrane, induced by the thermal stress due to self-heating of the switch itself. The heat is generated by a current driven through a high resistivity polysilicon serpentine housed underneath the anchoring points of the suspended switch. After a detailed theoretical analysis, we will report FEM-simulation results (finite element method) describing the behaviour of the structure discussed in this paper.