Design, fabrication and characterization of miniature RF MEMS switched capacitor based phase shifter

This paper aims to present in detail the design, fabrication and the various characterization techniques adopted in realizing a novel miniature-size switched capacitor based phase shifter. The work strives to provide an all-round development of a DMTL (Distributed MEMS Transmission Line) based phase shifting unit yielding an overall phase shift of 15^o at a frequency of 15GHz. The RF MEMS (Radio Frequency Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) Switched Capacitor based phase shifter has highly miniaturized dimensions, and is capable of solving many limitations to which the conventional Switched Capacitors are mostly susceptible. This miniature RF MEMS switched capacitor actuates at a low actuation voltage of 12V, exhibits a fundamental frequency of vibration as high as 1.468MHz and a switching time of [email protected]?s which is an improvement over the other reported designs. Various characterization results seem to validate the simulations.

[1]  G.M. Rebeiz,et al.  2-bit MEMS distributed X-band phase shifters , 2000, IEEE Microwave and Guided Wave Letters.

[2]  Gabriel M. Rebeiz,et al.  One and two-bit low-loss cascadable MEMS distributed X-band phase shifters , 2000, 2000 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest (Cat. No.00CH37017).

[3]  P. Blondy,et al.  Ku band DMTL medium power phase shifters , 2009, 2009 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest.

[4]  M. Despont,et al.  SU-8: a low-cost negative resist for MEMS , 1997 .

[5]  Hiranmay Saha,et al.  A tunable band-stop filter using a metamaterial structure and MEMS bridges on a silicon substrate , 2012 .

[6]  G.M. Rebeiz,et al.  A low-loss Ka-band distributed MEMS 2-bit phase shifter using metal-air-metal capacitors , 2002, 2002 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest (Cat. No.02CH37278).

[7]  Gabriel M. Rebeiz,et al.  High-Reliability Miniature RF-MEMS Switched Capacitors , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[8]  Gabriel M. Rebeiz,et al.  Miniature RF MEMS switched capacitors , 2005, IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest, 2005..

[9]  Pierre Blondy,et al.  Sub-hundred nanosecond electrostatic actuated RF MEMS switched capacitors , 2010 .

[10]  Wolfram Doetzel,et al.  24 GHz RF-MEMS Phase Shifter with Non-Galvanic Electromagnetic Coupling Fabricated in Silicon-Bulk Technology , 2006 .

[11]  Sayan Chatterjee,et al.  Compact K-band distributed RF MEMS phase shifter based on high-speed switched capacitors , 2011, 2011 11th Mediterranean Microwave Symposium (MMS).

[12]  Gabriel M. Rebeiz,et al.  High-Power High-Reliability High-Q Switched RF MEMS Capacitors , 2006, 2006 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest.

[13]  Kong-Pang Pun,et al.  Circuit design for wireless communications , 2003 .

[14]  Gabriel M. Rebeiz,et al.  Very low-loss distributed X-band and Ka-band MEMS phase shifters using metal-air-metal capacitors , 2003 .

[15]  P. Blondy,et al.  Sub-Microsecond RF MEMS Switched Capacitors , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[16]  Gabriel M. Rebeiz.  RF MEMS: Theory, Design and Technology , 2003 .

[17]  Guan-Leng Tan,et al.  RF MEMS phase shifters: design and applications , 2002 .

[18]  Mark G. Allen,et al.  Uncrosslinked SU-8 as a sacrificial material , 2005 .

[19]  Masayoshi Esashi,et al.  Micro instrumentation for characterizing thermoelectric properties of nanomaterials , 2005 .

[20]  S. Koul,et al.  Design and development of a surface micro-machined push–pull-type true-time-delay phase shifter on an alumina substrate for Ka-band T/R module application , 2012 .

[21]  Rudra Pratap,et al.  Effect of flexural modes on squeeze film damping in MEMS cantilever resonators , 2007 .

[22]  P. Blondy,et al.  Phase Shifter Design Based on Fast RF MEMS Switched Capacitors , 2008, 2008 European Microwave Integrated Circuit Conference.

[23]  A KoellenspergerP,et al.  王水による化学ウェットエッチングによる白金(Pt)薄膜のパターン形成 , 2012 .

[24]  J. Papapolymerou,et al.  Organic "Wafer-Scale" packaged miniature 4-bit RF MEMS phase shifter , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.