Carbon Nanotube Based Dielectric for Enhanced RF MEMS Reliability

Abstract

This paper presents the fabrication and experimental results of capacitive MEM switches with a carbon nanotubes (CNT) based dielectric for the first time to our knowledge. Double wall nanotubes (DWNT) have been incorporated in the switch silicon nitride dielectric to modify its properties regarding the charging effect. The impact of the CNT density on the MEMS reliability has been demonstrated: a switch lifetime enhancement greater than two orders of magnitude has been achieved.