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Design and analysis a novel RF MEMS switched capacitor for low pull-in voltage application

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Abstract

In this paper, we design and analysis a new RF MEMS switched capacitor that exhibits low pull in voltage. We propose a capacitance calculation method based on conformal mapping for the coupled open-ends in coplanar waveguide (CPW), an inductance computational method based on twin strip structure for the coupled short-ends in CPW, and an analytical pull-in model of the switched capacitor. A process optimization way for planarization of polyimide surface is proposed, resulting in polyimide surface roughness less than 10 nm. A new low pull-in voltage RF MEMS switched capacitor is fabricated and the lumped RLC model circuit is extracted. Measured results demonstrate an entirely pull in voltage of only 16 V for the switched capacitor, meanwhile the capacitance ratio is 6.8. Under hot-switched and 100 mW conditions, the pull in voltage is still 16 V. A hot-switched of an actuation voltage reduces to 13 V with a power of ~300 mW, furthermore, the capacitance ratio changes to 5. The device is tested under hold-down conditions of over 90 s, the actuation voltage drops to 11.6 V, and the capacitance ratio never changes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Electronic Engineering, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing, 100876, People’s Republic of China

    Zhongliang Deng, Hao Wei & Jun Gan

  2. Zhengzhou Yutong Bus, Zhengzhou, 450061, People’Republic of China

    Sen Fan

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  1. Zhongliang Deng
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  2. Hao Wei
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  3. Sen Fan
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  4. Jun Gan
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Correspondence to Hao Wei.

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Deng, Z., Wei, H., Fan, S. et al. Design and analysis a novel RF MEMS switched capacitor for low pull-in voltage application. Microsyst Technol 22, 2141–2149 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-015-2604-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-015-2604-6

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