A novel latching RF MEMS phase shifter

A novel nickel/gold based electroplated 4-bit RF MEMS phase shifter is designed, fabricated and tested. The proposed design can candle high power and utilizes CPW transmission lines that use 8 latching SPDT RF MEMS switches that can work at 80°K. The design is based on 4 cascaded phase shifting units where every unit has two different electrical lengths of CPW transmission lines. Every unit has one common electrical length that is used as a reference where the second electrical length CPW has different electrical length. The second electrical length CPW in every unit is designed to give a relatively different phase shift once it is engaged in. The worst measured insertion loss and return loss are -6 dB and -16 dB, respectively, at 13 GHz with a phase shift of almost -125 degrees. The phase shifter is built using high resistive silicon substrate using MetalMUMPs process.