Title :
MEMS capacitive series switches: optimal test vehicles for the RF self-biasing phenomenon
Author :
Rottenberg, X. ; Vaesen, K. ; Brebels, S. ; Nauwelaers, B. ; Mertens, R.P. ; De Raedt, W. ; Tilmans, H.A.C.
Author_Institution :
Div. MCP, IMEC, Leuven, Belgium
fDate :
30 Jan.-3 Feb. 2005
Abstract :
This paper demonstrates the use of the cantilever series capacitive RF-MEMS switches to study qualitatively the RF self-biasing. These devices are less prone to RF Joule heating than the commonly used bridge shunt switches and exhibit the same self-actuation phenomena but at lower power levels and at lower frequencies. Therefore, series switches provide a much better test/study vehicle for this complex problem. Some new findings are the existence of the non-zero pull-out power and its dependence on the frequency, the increase or decrease of pull-in power with the frequency depending on the device characteristic, the closure of the instability window for the air gap height and the consequent full tuning range. Our model was validated with original measurements focusing on the frequency dependence of the RF self-actuation characteristics. This approach allows using a single structure to realize a qualitative verification of various phenomena predicted by our model.
Keywords :
microswitches; microwave switches; RF Joule heating; RF self-biasing; air gap height; bridge shunt switches; capacitive RF-MEMS switches; nonzero pull-out power; pull-in power; self-actuation; series switches; Automatic testing; Bridge circuits; Frequency measurement; Heating; Micromechanical devices; Radio frequency; Radiofrequency microelectromechanical systems; Switches; Tuning; Vehicles;
Conference_Titel :
Micro Electro Mechanical Systems, 2005. MEMS 2005. 18th IEEE International Conference on
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-8732-5
DOI :
10.1109/MEMSYS.2005.1453888