Design of Low Activation RF Mems Shunt Switch

Abstract

This thesis presents the design of Radio Frequency (RF) Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) capacitive shunt switches. The work primarily concerns different types of RF MEMS capacitive shunt switches their bridge structure. It also presents variation of capacitance, pull-in voltage and frequency response obtained from dif- ferent types of bridge structures. An RF MEMS capacitive shunt switch designed and simulated with low pull-in voltage. The switch has to work on 14 to 41GHz fre- quency range, with below 20 dB return loss and above 0.5 insertion loss in on-state and isolation below 20 dB in off-state. Based on designed RF MEMS switch, distributed MEMS phase shifter designed with low pull-in voltage. The phase shifter leads to a generation of 180 phase shift at 40.5 GHz with below 20 dB return loss and above 1 dB insertion loss in on-state and below 100 dB isolation in off-state.