Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) Switch Test

Abstract

Analyzing microelectromechanical system (MEMS) switch behavior is a new field of study, which guides the production of MEMS switches. I analyzed switch behavior using a digital circuit synthesized on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chip. The chip had two outputs and one input connected to a MEMS switch and a radio frequency (RF) generator. It opened and closed the switch repeatedly and measured the resistance across that switch. The circuit consisted of the switch, a resistor, and the voltage out signal. I calculated the switch resistance from the voltage output applied on one end of the switch and the voltage input that lies between the switch and the resistor. The second output was the bias voltage needed to close the switch. A DA/AD converter translated the digital signal from the chip to the analog signal interacting with the switch. Parameters, such as the bias voltage, were entered into the chip using a software application on a computer.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2011
Accession Number
ADA538269

Entities

People

  • Stanley Karter
  • Tony Ivanov

Organizations

  • United States Army Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Application Software
  • Circuits
  • Computer Programming
  • Computer Programs
  • Computers
  • Conversion
  • Converters
  • Diagrams
  • Digital Circuits
  • Field Programmable Gate Arrays
  • Frequency
  • Generators
  • Microelectromechanical Systems
  • Networks
  • Reliability
  • Resistance
  • Resistors

Readers

  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Integrated Circuit Design and Technology.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Microelectronics - Microelectromechanical Systems