RF-MEMS switch design optimization for long-term reliability

Mulloni, Viviana; Solazzi, Francesco; Resta, Giuseppe; Giacomozzi, F.; Margesin, B.

doi:10.1007/s10470-013-0220-x

Cited by 20 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…The two ohmic structures are very similar and this result is somehow surprising. They differ, basically, only for the distribution of the reinforcing gold layer on the movable membrane 13 . It is then possible that this affects the total strain distribution during the deformation due to thermal variations.…”

Section: Optical Profiler Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This type of deformation is not expected to be fatal for the switch functioning, but it simply means that the actuation voltage could by a few volts higher. It may be a problem, however, if the increase of the actuation voltage is not compatible with the application requirements or if the switch itself tend to stick at high voltages 13 .…”

Section: Optical Profiler Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thermal cycling reliability of RF-MEMS switches

2015

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Thermal cycling test are part of the standard space qualification procedure for RF-MEMS devices. Standardized tests are rather demanding in terms of equipment and experimental time. In this paper we present a fast thermal cycling test aimed at obtaining a rapid selection among different switch geometries in terms of thermal cycling resistance. Seven different switch typologies are examined and tested, evidencing that the most important source of deterioration is the mechanical deformation of the movable membrane. The principal characteristic found in the most resistant typologies is a more uniform distribution of the thermal strain over the whole membrane. To this respect, a careful design of the membrane anchors is extremely important for achieving a good thermal cycling resistance.

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Section: Optical Profiler Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Optical Profiler Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal cycling reliability of RF-MEMS switches

2015

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“…The most promising ones work on the removal of the dielectric layer with the introduction of stopping pillars in order to avoid direct contact with the charged electrode [22]. These methods are quite effective and in fact, when most of the charge has been removed, other effects appear in the capacitance-voltage curve [23] evidencing complex charging effects either due to the inhomogeneous distribution of charge [24] or due to mechanical relaxation or creep [25,26]. In this case, a more complex model including both shifting and narrowing of the actuation/release curves must be applied to the experimental data in order to characterize the switch behavior, and the voltage scan must be bipolar in order to take into account the drift of both positive and negative values.…”

Section: Instabilities Due To Dielectric Chargingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As the contact deteriorates, the difference of capacitance values in the on and off states becomes less sharply defined, and the RF performances deteriorate up to the point where it is not possible to clearly define an electrical actuation [37]. The quality of the contact [26] and the contact resistance vary randomly with time, and, again, the switch becomes highly unstable and therefore useless.…”

Section: Instabilities Due To Fabrication Uncertainties and Materials mentioning

confidence: 99%

Instability and Drift Phenomena in Switching RF-MEMS Microsystems

Mulloni

2019

Actuators

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MEMS switches include mobile beams in their mechanical structure and these suspended parts are essential for the device functioning. This paper illustrates the most important instability phenomena related to MEMS switches. Starting from the most important instability exploited in these devices—the electrical actuation—the paper also analyzes other important effects related to instability phenomena, which are very common in this type of technology. Instabilities due to dielectric charge trapping, fabrication tolerances, mechanical deformation, contact wear, and temperature variation are duly analyzed, giving a comprehensive view of the complexity encountered in the reliable functioning of these apparently simple devices.

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“…Moreover, the natural frequencies of the clamped-clamped microbeam are relatively higher as compared to other microstructures such as cantilever or simply-supported microbeams. This feature is desirable in increasing the sensitivity of the microstructures to be used as Radio Frequency (RF) filters [11], RF switches [12] and resonant sensors [13]. Furthermore, the linear dynamic range of clamped-clamped micro-beams is lower compared to micro-cantilevers [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structural Behavior of a Multi-Layer Based Microbeam Actuator

2016

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Abstract:In this paper, the structural behavior of a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) composed of two electrically coupled parallel clamped-clamped microbeams is investigated. An Euler Bernoulli beam model is considered along with the nonlinear electric actuating force to get the equation of motion governing the structural behavior of the actuator. A reduced-order modeling (ROM) based on the Galerkin expansion technique, while assuming linear undamped mode shapes of a straight fixed-fixed beam as the basis functions, is assumed as a discretization technique of the equations of motion in this investigation. The results showed that the double-microbeam MEMS actuator configuration requires a lower actuation voltage and a lower switching time as compared to the single microbeam actuator. Then, the effects of both microbeams air gap depths were investigated. Finally, the eigenvalue problem was investigated to get the variation of the fundamental natural frequencies of the coupled parallel microbeams with the applied actuating DC load.

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RF-MEMS switch design optimization for long-term reliability

Cited by 20 publications

References 11 publications

Thermal cycling reliability of RF-MEMS switches

Thermal cycling reliability of RF-MEMS switches

Instability and Drift Phenomena in Switching RF-MEMS Microsystems

Structural Behavior of a Multi-Layer Based Microbeam Actuator

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