Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of perforations on fabricated iterative meandered RF MEMS switch for millimeter wave applications

  • Technical Paper
  • Published:
Microsystem Technologies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper, the effect of perforations on both pull-in voltage and S-parameters have been studied experimentally and compared with the simulation results of perforated and non-perforated switch designs for validation. The perforated switch is fabricated using 4-mask layer process and low pull-in voltage of 1.85 V is achieved by introducing novel iterative methodology which reduce spring constant of meanders. The switch shows good insertion loss of − 0.16 dB and isolation of − 54.8 dB at 40 GHz. Due to perforations, the deviation of pull-in voltage is observed from 1.6 V to 1.85 V and also decrement in capacitive area results in frequency shift of 1000 MHz which shows huge effect in operating frequency of RF MEMS switch. The proposed switch can be efficiently used for 5G GSMA applications operating at 40 GHz frequency.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Casha O, Micallef J, Grech I, Gatt E (2007) Utilisation of microsystems technology in radio frequency and microwave applications. J Malta Cham Sci 12:4–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Elshurafa AM, El-Masry EI (2006) Effects of etching holes on capacitance and tuning range in MEMS parallel plate variable capacitors. In: The sixth international workshop on system-on-chip for real-time applications, pp 221–224

  • Fang DM, Li XH, Yuan Q, Zhang HX (2010) Effect of etch holes on the capacitance and pull-in voltage in MEMS tunable capacitors. Int J Electron 97(12):1439–1448

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Girija Sravani K, Koushik Guha K, Rao S, Elsinawi A (2019) Design of a novel structure capacitive RF MEMS switch to improve performance parameters. IET Circuit Dev Syst 13(7):1093–1101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Girija Sravani K, Koushik Guha, and K Srinivasa Rao (2020) A modified proposed capacitance model for step structure capacitive RF MEMS switch by incorporating fringing field effects. Int J Elect 1–22

  • Guha K, Laskar NM, Gogoi HJ, Borah AK, Baishnab KL, Baishya S (2017) Novel analytical model for optimizing the pull-in voltage in a flexured MEMS switch incorporating beam perforation effect. Solid-State Elect. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sse.2017.08.007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lakshmi Narayana T, Girija Sravani K, Srinivasa Rao K (2017) A micro level electrostatically actuated cantilever and metal contact based series RF MEMS switch for multi-band applications. Cog Eng 4(1):1323367

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin CY, Hsu CC, Dai CL (2015) Fabrication of a micromachined capacitive switch using the CMOS-MEMS technology. Micromachines 6(11):1645–1654

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y, Liu J, Bo Yu, Liu X (2018) A compact single-cantilever Multicontact RF-Mems switch with enhanced reliability. IEEE Microwave Wirel Compon Lett 28(3):191–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manivannan M, Daniel RJ and Sumangala K (2014). Low actuation voltage RF MEMS switch using varying section composite fixed-fixed beam. Int J Microwave Sci Technol

  • Rao KS, Naveena P, Sravani KG (2019) Materials impact on the performance analysis and optimization of RF MEMS switch for 5G reconfigurable antenna. Transact Elect Electron Mat 20(4):315–327

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rao KS, Narayana TL, Guha K, Sravani G (2018) Fabrication and characterization of capacitive RF MEMS perforated switch. IEEE Access. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2018.2883353

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ravirala AK, Bethapudi LK, Kommareddy J, Thommandru BS, Jasti S, Gorantla PR, Puli A, Karumuri GS, Karumuri SR (2018) Design and performance analysis of uniform meander structured RF MEMS capacitive shunt switch along with perforations. Microsyst Technol 24(2):901–908. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-017-3403-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rebeiz GM (2003) RF MEMS theory, design and technology. John Wiley and Sons

  • Seong-Dae L, Byoung-Chul J, Kim S-D, Jin-Koo R (2005) A novel pull-up type RF MEMS switch with low actuation voltage. IEEE Microwave Wireless Comp Lett 15(12):856–858

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shao L, Palaniapan M (2008) Effect of Etch Holes on Quality Factor of Bulk-Mode Micromechanical Resonators. Electron Lett 44:938–939

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma K, Karmakar A, Prakash K, Chauhan A, Bansal S, Hooda M, Kumar S, Gupta N and Singh AK (2020) Design and characterization of RF MEMS capacitive shunt switch for X, Ku, K and Ka band applications. Microelect Eng 111310

  • Shekhar SK, Vinoy J, Ananthasuresh GK (2017) Surface-micromachined capacitive RF switches with low actuation voltage and steady contact. J Microelectromech Syst 26(3):643–652

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sravani KG, Srinivasa Rao K (2018) Analysis of RF MEMS shunt capacitive switch with uniform and non-uniform meanders. Microsyst Technol 24(2):1309–1315

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sravani KG, Guha K, Srinivasa Rao K (2018) Analysis on selection of beam material for novel step structured RF-MEMS switch used for satellite communication applications. Transactions Elect Electron Mater 19(6):467–474

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sravani K, Girija D, Prathyusha KS, Rao PA, Kumar GS, Gopi LC, Chand PN, Thalluri LN, Guha K (2019) Design and performance analysis of low pull-in voltage of dimple type capacitive RF mems shunt switch for Ka-Band. IEEE Access 7:44471–44488

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thalluri LN, Guha K, Karumuri SR, Prasad G, Sravani G, Sastry K, Kanakala A, Babu P (2020) Perforated serpentine membrane with AlN as dielectric material shunt capacitive RF MEMS switch fabrication and characterization. Microsyst Technol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-020-04755-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tilmans HA, Raedt WD, Beyne E (2003) MEMS for wireless communications: From RF-MEMS components to RF-MEMS-Sip. J Micromech Microeng 13:139–163

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The Authors would like to thank to NMDC supported by NPMASS, National Institute of Technology, Silchar for providing the necessary computational tools. This research (or a portion thereof) was performed using facilities at CeNSE, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, funded by Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and Nanomission, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India..sponsor).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. MEMS Research Center, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Koneru Lakshmaiah Educational Foundation (Deemed to be University), Green Fields, Vaddeswaram, Guntur, 522502, India

    P. Ashok Kumar, K. Srinivasa Rao & K. Girija Sravani

  2. National MEMS Designing Center, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Silchar, Assam, India

    K. Girija Sravani

Authors
  1. P. Ashok Kumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. Srinivasa Rao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. K. Girija Sravani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to P. Ashok Kumar or K. Srinivasa Rao.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kumar, P.A., Rao, K.S. & Sravani, K.G. Effect of perforations on fabricated iterative meandered RF MEMS switch for millimeter wave applications. Microsyst Technol 27, 3611–3616 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-020-05107-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-020-05107-x

Search

Navigation