MEMS-tunable silicon-integrated cavity filters

Abstract

Millimeter-wave (mm-wave) frequencies (>30 GHz) are more and more occupied by new sets of applications ranging from high-data rate communication networks to security and surveillance systems. As a result, the demand for highly-versatile RF filters that are able to operate at such high frequencies and accommodate the needs of these systems is continuously increasing. A new class of mm-wave filters that are structured by silicon-integrated evanescent-mode cavity resonators and MEMS corrugated diaphragms have recently being proposed as a prospective candidate for these applications. This paper provides a general review of the attributes of this technology and its RF performance merits through various filter demonstration examples.