RF MEMS asymmetric capacitive switch with high-isolation at selected low-microwave frequency

✍ Scribed by Jiangyuan Qian; Hung-Pin Chang; Bedri A. Cetiner; Mark Bachman; Franco De Flaviis; G.P. Li

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 473 KB
• Volume: 49
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0895-2477
• DOI: 10.1002/mop.22235

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

An asymmetric RF microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) capacitive switch with a novel architecture employing mode switching from a coplanar waveguide (CPW) mode to a coupled slotline (CSL) mode is reported for selected frequency within the 2–10 GHz low microwave frequency range. An additional metal‐insulator‐metal (MIM) capacitor is introduced on one end of the switch membrane as a tuning capacitor. The signal line of CSL is used as a tuning inductor. These two tuning elements together can improve the isolation of a regular capacitive RF MEMS switch by about 20 dB at the induced additional low resonant frequency ranging from 2 to 10 GHz. The measurements of the fabricated asymmetric switch demonstrated excellent isolation improvements. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 49: 702–706, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.22235