Foturan Cap and BCB Sealing-Ring for RF MEMS Packaging Applications

Abstract

RF-MEMS switches devices are made of moveable and timy structures (beams) that must be encapsulated in order to protect them from harmful environmental influences, to increase their reliability and lifetime. This paper presents a packaging solution based on a micromachined Foturan cap and BCB sealing. In order to validate the packaging technology, RF switch onto coplanar waveguide lines for 6-18 GHz was designed using HFSS software package, and fabricated. The demonstrator was characterised in terms of return and insertion losses measurements. The agreement between the modelling and the measurements is very good, and validates the technological approach, which assures insignificant impact of the package on the RF losses