Extremely High Capacitance Ratio (C/R) RF MEMS Variable Capacitor with Chameleon Actuators

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a novel variable capacitor having higher capacitance ratio (C/R) >35 than ever before. So far, various types of RF-MEMS variable capacitors have been proposed, but even the highest C/R among the capacitors under development is now the order of 4. For enabling the multi-band of the wireless terminal, it has been expected to achieve a device having higher C/R. We demonstrate by combining arbitrarily the quantity of the chameleon actuators and the area of capacitor plate, the capacitance value can be digitally controlled in a wide range.