Integrated RF-MEMS switch based on a combination of thermal and electrostatic actuation

Robert, Ph.; Saias, D.; Billard, C.; Boret, S.; Sillon, N.; Maeder-Pachurka, Catherine; Charvet, Pierre-Louis; Bouche, G.; Ancey, P.; Berruyer, P.

doi:10.1109/sensor.2003.1217115

Cited by 47 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Once actuated, these devices consume minimal power to hold this state, as a dynamic current flow occurs exclusively during actuation [11], with typical overall power consumption resulting from charging and leakages of 0.05 to 0.1 mW [12]. In the case of thermal [13,14] and electromagnetic [15][16][17] actuators, however, the actuated state may require a constant current supply if the devices do not have an integrated latching mechanism of any nature (see [18][19][20] for examples of latching electrothermal MEMS switches, and Section 4 for examples of latching magnetic MEMS switches).…”

Section: Low Power Consumptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrated Magnetic MEMS Relays: Status of the Technology

2014

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Abstract:The development and application of magnetic technologies employing microfabricated magnetic structures for the production of switching components has generated enormous interest in the scientific and industrial communities over the last decade. Magnetic actuation offers many benefits when compared to other schemes for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), including the generation of forces that have higher magnitude and longer range. Magnetic actuation can be achieved using different excitation sources, which create challenges related to the integration with other technologies, such as CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), and the requirement to reduce power consumption. Novel designs and technologies are therefore sought to enable the use of magnetic switching architectures in integrated MEMS devices, without incurring excessive energy consumption. This article reviews the status of magnetic MEMS technology and presents devices recently developed by various research groups, with key focuses on integrability and effective power management, in addition to the ability to integrate the technology with other microelectronic fabrication processes.

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Section: Low Power Consumptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrated Magnetic MEMS Relays: Status of the Technology

2014

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“…However, these actuators consume a lot of power [3] and are not the best choice for applications like MEMS switches, where it is required to maintain the deflected (ON) state for significant periods of time.…”

Section: Motivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One such attempt to integrate electrothermal and electrostatic actuators in MEMS switches has been presented in [3]. This approach first employs a bimorph-type electrothermal actuator to bring the switch contacts near each other and then switches to electrostatic actuation to close the contacts and to hold the switch in the ON state.…”

Section: Motivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Obtaining a consistent solution requires a model that accounts for the interaction between the two. Although it is possible to circumvent this issue by separating the two actuation mechanisms spatially and/or temporally as done in [3], the optimal approach is to be able to model the situation where these may be applied simultaneously. In this work, we propose a model for a hybrid actuation mechanism that can use both electrothermal and electrostatic actuation at the same time.…”

Section: Motivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Analysis of Hybrid Electrothermomechanical Microactuators With Integrated Electrothermal and Electrostatic Actuation

Alwan

Aluru

2009

J. Microelectromech. Syst.

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The goal of this research is to integrate electrothermal and electrostatic actuation in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). We look at cases where these two types of actuation are intimately coupled and argue that such integrated electrothermomechanical microactuators have more advantages than pure electrothermal or electrostatic devices. We further propose a framework to model hybrid electrothermomechanical actuation to get a consistent solution for the coupled mechanical, thermal and electrical fields in the steady-state.Employing a Lagrangian approach, the inhomogeneous current conduction equation is used to describe the electric potential, while the thermal and displacement fields are obtained by solving the nonlinear heat conduction equation and by performing a large deformation mechanical analysis, respectively. To preserve numerical accuracy and reduce computational time, we also incorporate a boundary integral formulation to describe the electric potential in the medium surrounding the actuator. We show through the example of a hybrid double-beam actuator, that electrothermomechanical actuation results in low voltage, low power operation that could be used for switching applications in MEMS. We also extend the same device towards bidirectional actuation and demonstrate how it may be used to overcome common problems like stiction that occur in MEMS switches.ii

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“…However, a significant drawback is the highly nonlinear tuning response as a function of the actuation of the device [25]. Several driving principles which are suitable in the micro domain are used including electrostatic [26], piezoelectric [27] and thermal [28] actuation. Each mechanism has specific advantages with respect to deflection range, required force, power requirements, and repones time.…”

Section: State Of the Artmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wide piezoelectric tuning of ltcc bandpass filters

Alahmad

Mäenner

Matz

et al. 2005

IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest, 2005.

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This work treats design and fabrication issues associated with innovative tunable front-end components which combine two different ceramic technologies, namely multilayer ceramic circuit boards (low temperature cofired ceramics or LTCC) and piezoelectric actuator technology within a single device. The need for such components is particularly arising due to the increasing number of wireless services and associated frequency bands in the range between 0.5 and 2.5 GHz. This has led in the past to the concept of software-defined radio (SDR) which would provide a cost-efficient solution by treating signals digitally and software-controlled up to the highest possible frequencies and as close as possible towards the transmit antenna, while the final analogue section at the antenna comprises only few high-performing and frequencyagile, tunable components. However, as a consequence of demanding component specifications, SDR has not yet found noticeable application in consumer markets despite ongoing search for suitable device concepts and fabrication technologies.Similar to the known micro-electromechanical (MEMS) approaches for tuning and switching, this work presents a modified parallel plate capacitor with high-permittivity dielectric and piezoelectrically movable top electrode as a tuning element. Like in MEMS solutions, there is no tunable dielectric material required for tuning as for example paraelectric material, which would introduce additional losses. The proposed device therefore has the potential for a high quality factor. Contrasting MEMS, piezoelectric actuators exhibit proven reliability and lifetime. Also sticking of contact surfaces can be overcome by the actuator force. The size of the actuator in the order of several millimeters is not impedimental in the present context, since it compares well to the size of planar integrated filters in the frequency range mentioned.The vertical movement of the electrode opens an air gap above the dielectric film which allows for substantial lowering of the effective dielectric constant and capacitance. When applied as a shunt capacitor in a coupled microstrip lines LTCC bandpass filter, the center frequency of the filter is tuned from 1.1 GHz to 2.6 GHz (tunability of 135%) with 200 V control voltage and low insertion loss of value 4 dB (at zero-bias) to 2 dB (at the maximum bias). For a more compact size, one electrode of the piezoelectric element is simultaneously used as the center microstrip line of a filter employing three coupled lines. Its equivalent circuit has been used to explore the change of the capacitor parameters across the entire tuning range. The capacitor varied from 7 pF to 1.35 pF with a quality factor between 60 and 160. The quality factor could be improved by a factor of 7 when the metallization of the piezoelectric actuator, changes from 80 nm to 500 nm.This thesis discusses also the effects of tuning mechanism on the overall quality factor, return loss, insertion loss, and the relative bandwidth at the mid of the band as a function of ...

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Integrated RF-MEMS switch based on a combination of thermal and electrostatic actuation

Cited by 47 publications

References 2 publications

Integrated Magnetic MEMS Relays: Status of the Technology

Integrated Magnetic MEMS Relays: Status of the Technology

Analysis of Hybrid Electrothermomechanical Microactuators With Integrated Electrothermal and Electrostatic Actuation

Wide piezoelectric tuning of ltcc bandpass filters

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