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MEMS tunable capacitors with fragmented electrodes and rotational electro-thermal drive

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Abstract

This paper reports on the design, simulation and fabrication of tunable MEMS capacitors with fragmented metal (AlSi 4%) electrodes. We examine a rotational electro-thermal actuation. An analytic model of the rotational effect thermal actuator was established in order to show the periodicity of the capacitance when the angle increases. Evaluation of the impact of fringing fields on the capacitance has been carried out using finite element analysis (FEA). The MEMS capacitors were fabricated using metal surface micromachining with polyimide sacrificial layer. The maximum rotation, corresponding to a maximum angle of 7°, was obtained near 1.2 V and 299 mA. The proposed capacitor has a practical tuning range of 30%. FEA has shown that this figure can be improved with design optimization. The MEMS architecture based on rotational effect and fragmented electrodes does not suffer from the pull in effect and offers a practical solution for future above-IC capacitors.

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Abbreviations

CMP:

Chemical mechanical planarization

FEA:

Finite element analysis

IC:

Integrated circuit

MEMS:

Micro electro mechanical systems

SEM:

Scanning electron microscope

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Acknowledgments

Thanks to the EPFL-CMI staff for the support given on the technological steps development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ST Microelectronics, Crolles, France

    A. Mehdaoui, F. Casset & P. Ancey

  2. Electronics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ELB 311 Building, EPF Lausanne, Switzerland

    A. Mehdaoui, M. B. Pisani, D. Tsamados & A. M. Ionescu

  3. CEA/LETI, Grenoble, France

    F. Casset

Authors
  1. A. Mehdaoui
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  2. M. B. Pisani
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  3. D. Tsamados
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  4. F. Casset
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  5. P. Ancey
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  6. A. M. Ionescu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Mehdaoui.

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Mehdaoui, A., Pisani, M.B., Tsamados, D. et al. MEMS tunable capacitors with fragmented electrodes and rotational electro-thermal drive. Microsyst Technol 13, 1589–1594 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-006-0350-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-006-0350-5

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