Abstract
MEMS switches include mobile beams in their mechanical structure and these suspended parts are essential for the device functioning. This paper illustrates the most important instability phenomena related to MEMS switches. Starting from the most important instability exploited in these devices—the electrical actuation—the paper also analyzes other important effects related to instability phenomena, which are very common in this type of technology. Instabilities due to dielectric charge trapping, fabrication tolerances, mechanical deformation, contact wear, and temperature variation are duly analyzed, giving a comprehensive view of the complexity encountered in the reliable functioning of these apparently simple devices.
Highlights
Microbeams are widespread in Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), and they are one of the most common building blocks encountered in MEMS design and fabrication
Electrical actuation of a microbeam is widely used in Radio-Frequency MEMS (RF-MEMS) switching devices
Some noteworthy concerns are the difficulties of an MEMS-compatible, hermetic, low-cost, wafer-level packaging, essential to avoid failure due to humidity or chemical contamination, and the scarcity of MEMS-specific methods for accelerated reliability testing
Summary
Microbeams are widespread in Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), and they are one of the most common building blocks encountered in MEMS design and fabrication. RF-MEMS can be used for switching, RF frequency selection, tuning and matching in the RF front end in communication transceivers [9], and for switching in phase shifters used in automotive and satellite communications radar systems. They are technologically very attractive for their very small footprint and due to their extremely low loss, high linearity, and virtually no power consumption [10]. The reliable control of this of this instability will be discussed in detail in the different sections of this paper, outlining the most instability be discussed in detail in the sections of thistogether paper, outlining most common common will sources of deviation from thedifferent predicted behavior, with thethe limits, and the sources of deviation from the predicted behavior, together with and the consequences consequences of these deviations and the countermeasures andthe thelimits, mitigating actions that the of these deviations and the countermeasures research work has developed in the last years.and the mitigating actions that the research work has developed in the last years
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