Flexible microwave passive components play an important role in flexible integrated circuits, especially for high-speed wireless communication systems. It is clear that bending can have a significant impact on the flexible components’ performance. However, an analysis of the physical mechanisms of flexible microwave passive components under mechanical bending conditions has not been completed. In this paper, we describe a study of the performance variations and operating mechanisms of flexible microwave inductors and capacitors under mechanical bending conditions. Flexible spiral inductors and metal-insulator-metal capacitors of various dimensions were fabricated on plastic substrates and measured under different mechanical bending conditions. Modeling of the flexible components was conducted. The influence of mechanical bending on flexible inductors and capacitors was characterized based on experimental and modeled results. The underlying operational mechanisms of flexible inductors and capacitors under bending conditions are discussed using the distributions of the electric and magnetic fields from the model. In addition, the performance variations with different component parameters (e.g. the metal and substrate materials, the thicknesses of the metals and dielectrics) were studied under bending conditions. The results are helpful for the use of flexible microwave passive components in flexible microwave monolithic integrated circuits.

柔性微波无源元件在柔性集成电路中发挥着重要作用，特别是对于高速无线通信系统。很明显，弯曲会对柔性组件的性能产生重大影响。然而，对柔性微波无源元件在机械弯曲条件下的物理机制的分析尚未完成。在本文中，我们描述了机械弯曲条件下柔性微波电感器和电容器的性能变化和运行机制的研究。在塑料基板上制造各种尺寸的柔性螺旋电感器和金属-绝缘体-金属电容器，并在不同的机械弯曲条件下进行测量。进行了柔性部件的建模。基于实验和建模结果表征了机械弯曲对柔性电感器和电容器的影响。使用模型中的电场和磁场分布讨论了柔性电感器和电容器在弯曲条件下的基本运行机制。此外，在弯曲条件下研究了不同组件参数（例如金属和基板材料、金属和电介质的厚度）的性能变化。研究结果有助于在柔性微波单片集成电路中使用柔性微波无源元件。使用模型中的电场和磁场分布讨论了柔性电感器和电容器在弯曲条件下的基本运行机制。此外，在弯曲条件下研究了不同组件参数（例如金属和基板材料、金属和电介质的厚度）的性能变化。研究结果有助于在柔性微波单片集成电路中使用柔性微波无源元件。使用模型中的电场和磁场分布讨论了柔性电感器和电容器在弯曲条件下的基本运行机制。此外，在弯曲条件下研究了不同组件参数（例如金属和基板材料、金属和电介质的厚度）的性能变化。研究结果有助于在柔性微波单片集成电路中使用柔性微波无源元件。