DC-contact RF-MEMS cantilever switch on a PCB substrate for monolithic integration with microstrip phased array antennas

This paper presents electrostatic DC-contact RF-MEMS cantilever switches based on an alternative and cheap fabrication process on a PCB, suitable for monolithic integration with other elements on the same substrate. The switches are implemented on a Rogers 4003c substrate, based on a 1μm-thick copper cantilevers, with an average voltage actuation of 90V. Stable cantilevers have been demonstrated in the off-state and during the actuation process. Also this work presents the design, simulation, and measurements of the S-parameters of the RF-MEMS at 12.5 GHz. The design has a promising application on switched-line phase shifters for receive-only phased array antennas in the Ku-band frequencies.