Distributed MEMS analog phase shifter with enhanced tuning

Author

McFeetors, Greg ; Okoniewski, Michal

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Univ. of Calgary, Alta.

Volume

16

Issue

1

fYear

2006

Firstpage

34

Lastpage

36

Abstract

The design, fabrication, and measurement of a tunable microwave phase shifter is described. The phase shifter combines two techniques: a distributed capacitance transmission line phase shifter, and a large tuning range radio frequency (RF) microelectromechanical system (MEMS) capacitor. The resulting device is a large bandwidth, continuously tunable, low-loss phase shifter, with state-of-the-art performance. Measurements indicate analog tuning of 170deg phase shift per dB loss is possible at 40 GHz, with a 538deg phase shift per centimeter. The structure is realized with high-Q MEMS varactors, capable of tuning C _max/C_min= 3.4. To our knowledge, this presents the lowest loss analog millimeter wave phase shifter performance to date

Keywords

distributed parameter networks; micromechanical devices; microwave phase shifters; network synthesis; transmission line theory; varactors; 40 GHz; RF MEMS capacitor; analog tuning; distributed MEMS analog phase shifter; distributed capacitance transmission line phase shifter; high-Q MEMS varactors; low-loss phase shifter; radio frequency micro-electromechanical system capacitor; tunable microwave phase shifter; Capacitance; Fabrication; Micromechanical devices; Microwave devices; Microwave measurements; Phase measurement; Phase shifters; Radio frequency; Transmission line measurements; Tuning; Distributed microelectromechanical transmission line (DMTL); microelectromechanical system (MEMS); phase shifter; varactor;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Microwave and Wireless Components Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1531-1309

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LMWC.2005.861350

Filename

1561310