Design and simulation of a novel electro-thermally actuated lateral RF MEMS latching switch for low power applications

Pirmoradi, Elham; Mirzajani, Hadi; Ghavifekr, Habib Badri

doi:10.1007/s00542-014-2084-0

Cited by 34 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…A great deal of effort has been made to address the shortcomings of electrothermal switches. Similar to switches with other driving principles, bistable systems are frequently used for their low power consumption [13,[40][41][42]139,140]. The response speed of MEMS switches can be improved by the actuator optimization of geometry, material properties and driven voltage.…”

Section: Electrothermal Switchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Research Status and Development Trend of MEMS Switches: A Review

Cao

Zhao

2020

Micromachines

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MEMS switch is a movable device manufactured by means of semiconductor technology, possessing many incomparable advantages such as a small volume, low power consumption, high integration, etc. This paper reviews recent research of MEMS switches, pointing out the important performance indexes and systematically summarizing the classification according to driving principles. Then, a comparative study of current MEMS switches stressing their strengths and drawbacks is presented, based on performance requirements such as driven voltage, power consumption, and reliability. The efforts of teams to optimize MEMS switches are introduced and the applications of switches with different driving principles are also briefly reviewed. Furthermore, the development trend of MEMS switch and the research gaps are discussed. Finally, a summary and forecast about MEMS switches is given with the aim of providing a reference for future research in this domain.

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Section: Electrothermal Switchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Research Status and Development Trend of MEMS Switches: A Review

Cao

Zhao

2020

Micromachines

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“…The different resistivities were achieved by metal coating on the cold arm. In radio frequency (RF) applications, compact MEMS switches possess advantages like high linearity, power efficiency, and better high-frequency characteristics, as compared to the other switches such as diodes and transistors [55]. A thermally-actuated switch matrix for an automated signal distribution for telecommunication network applications [37] is shown in Figure 2c.…”

Section: Actuators With Conventional and Modified Shapesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This enables electrical and thermal isolation between the arms. An RF switch for low power applications was designed in [55], which employs a three-beam latching actuator. The driving actuator in the same device is realized using two three-beam actuators linked together with a tether.…”

Section: Actuators With Conventional and Modified Shapesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review of Electrothermal Actuators and Applications

2019

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This paper presents a review of electrothermal micro-actuators and applications. Electrothermal micro-actuators have been a significant research interest over the last two decades, and many different designs and applications have been investigated. The electrothermal actuation method offers several advantages when compared with the other types of actuation approaches based on electrostatic and piezoelectric principles. The electrothermal method offers flexibility in the choice of materials, low-cost fabrication, and large displacement capabilities. The three main configurations of electrothermal actuators are discussed: hot-and-cold-arm, chevron, and bimorph types as well as a few other unconventional actuation approaches. Within each type, trends are outlined from the basic concept and design modifications to applications which have been investigated in order to enhance the performance or to overcome the limitations of the previous designs. It provides a grasp of the actuation methodology, design, and fabrication, and the related performance and applications in cell manipulation, micro assembly, and mechanical testing of nanomaterials, Radio Frequency (RF) switches, and optical Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS).

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“…However, those electrothermal actuators are power‐consuming and slow. These two shortcomings have considerably restricted their operation in cordless communication applications 21 . Recently in a new effort, the power dissipation of the switches is decreased by using a mechanical latching mechanism in the switch structure 21 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A high contact force and high‐isolation radio‐frequency microelectromechanical systems switch for radio‐frequency front‐end applications

Dadgar

Aghdam

2022

Circuit Theory & Apps

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A new structure for low‐loss and high‐isolation radio‐frequency microelectromechanical systems (RF MEMS) switches is presented. The high contact force of the switch leads to very small ranges for contact resistance which is the main constrain of DC‐contact RF MEMS switches. The contact resistance of the switch is 27 mΩ leading to negligible thermal noise which is one of the most important parameters for devices operating at RF front‐ends immediately after the antenna where there is not any active stage. The switch is composed of two actuators: an electrothermal actuator for actuation of the switch from OFF to ON state and an electrostatic actuator to hold the switch at ON state. The insertion loss, return loss, and isolation of the switch for frequencies below 70 GHz are −0.35, −20, and −10 dB, respectively. The contact force and contact resistance of the switch are 0.93 mN and 0.027 Ω, respectively. Electrothermal and electrostatic actuators require 0.91 and 50 actuation voltages, respectively. During the ON‐state, the power consumption of the switch is near zero. The low contact resistance and high‐isolation characteristics of the switch make it very suitable for mobile front‐ends.

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Design and simulation of a novel electro-thermally actuated lateral RF MEMS latching switch for low power applications

Cited by 34 publications

References 30 publications

Research Status and Development Trend of MEMS Switches: A Review

Research Status and Development Trend of MEMS Switches: A Review

Review of Electrothermal Actuators and Applications

A high contact force and high‐isolation radio‐frequency microelectromechanical systems switch for radio‐frequency front‐end applications

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