Curled Microelectromechanical Switch
Abstract
Microelectromechanical switches (MEMS) are active components in most electronic equipment. Radio frequency (RF) MEMS are used in wireless personal communication devices, satellite communication, and phased array antennas. MEMS are ideal for these applications because of their low weight, small surface area, low volume, high isolation, large frequency range, linearity, and low power consumption. While MEMS have many positive attributes, reliability has been a challenge with the charged dielectric; stiction and deformation are two primary cause of failure. In addition, contact welding and contamination of the switch by foreign debris are also problematic. These problems are partly due to the design of the MEMS. In traditional MEMS, the upper contact electrode is bridged or flat-cantilevered over the lower electrode; there is no significant separation between the electrodes in the off state. The Curled Microelectromechanical Switch (CMEMS) is a breakthrough technology in on-chip switching design. The switch is a highly flexible and robust curled membrane structure protected by a single-crystal hermetic cover.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA625767
Entities
People
- Carl Bozler
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology