RF MEMS

RF microelectromechanical structures (MEMS) are replacing conventional microwave devices in various wireless transceiver applications, offering the advantages of improved isolation, lower power dissipation, and reduced cost, size, and weight. Emerging RF MEMS devices include switches, high Q capacitors and inductors, couplers and power dividers, filters, resonant structures, etc.

RF MEMS Components

Extensive research is being conducted in the area of wireless front-end circuitry aiming at the construction of efficient, CMOS-compatible, components such as inductors, tunable filters, etc. , In CMOS technology, however, these components typically have high loss which translates into poor noise characteristics or low Q factors and presents a major design bottleneck. Micro-ElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) have been shown to be suitable to create circuit components with very low loss at all microwave frequencies. TRLabs researchers are developing new RF MEMS structures and devices with lower loss, which are smaller and potentially compatible with existing IC technology for use in on-chip transceiver front ends.

Tunable RF MEMS Inductor

RF-LIGA MEMS

Standard lithographic processes for fabricating RF MEMS devices generally produce thin metal layers of a few microns and constrain the devices to 2D planar geometries. It is expected that significant advancements in microwave MEMS performance and integration will be achieved through the development of technologies for realizing 3D structures. Synchrotron deep X-ray lithography (DXRL), offers capabilities for building extremely precise high aspect ratio structures. In addition to direct X-ray exposure, these devices can
be produced inexpensively in a variety of polymers, ceramics, glasses, and metals using an extension of the DXRL technique called LIGA (a German acronym for lithography, electroplating, and replication by hot-embossing or injection moulding). This research focuses on developing processes and RF-LIGA MEMS devices using DXRL.