Ultra low actuation voltage RF MEMS switch

In this brief a new low actuation voltage RF MEMS switch is presented which can be integrated and controlled with available CMOS technologies. Despite the advantages in the design of RF MEMS switches designing a low actuation voltage RF MEMS switch is still a challenging task. To overcome this problem, a small size RF MEMS switch utilizing a moving plate with multiple holes supported by a low spring constant beam is presented in this work. Experimental measurement results indicate pull-in voltage of 0.5 V and lift-off voltage of 0.3 V for 1.5 μm displacement. The measured return loss and insertion loss are better than −20 dB and −0.1 dB respectively for a frequency range extending from 3 kHz to 3GHz. The switching time is less than 0.22 ms when the switch is turned on with a CMOS buffer from TSMC-65 nm technology with 1.00 V supply voltage.