RF MEMS and Si micromachining in high frequency applications

RF MEMS and Si micromachining are key technologies in obtaining low-size, low-weight, and low-cost components for the coming generation of communications systems. These technologies allow both the development of high-performance microwave/millimeter-wave switches and switch-based tunable subsystems, as well as innovative and efficient architectures for interconnecting and packaging. The design of a low-voltage capacitive and a low-resistance DC-contact switch are discussed. We also focus on a broadband low-loss on-wafer packaging scheme developed for the capacitive MEMS switch.