Micromechanical Circuits for Communication Transceivers

Micromechanical (or “μmechanical) communication circuits fabricated via IC-compatible MEMS technologies and capable of low-loss filtering, mixing, switching, and frequency generation, are described with the intent to miniaturize wireless transceivers. Receiver architectures are then proposed that best harness the tiny size, zero dc power dissipation, and ultra-high-Q of vibrating μmechanical resonator circuits. Among the more aggressive architectures proposed are one based on a μmechanical RF channel-selector and one featuring an all-MEMS RF front-end. These architectures maximize performance gains by using highly selective, low-loss μmechanical circuits on a massive scale, taking full advantage of Q versus power trade-offs. Micromechanical filters, mixer-filters, and switchable synthesizers are identified as key blocks capable of substantial power savings when used in the aforementioned architectures. As a result of this architectural exercise, more focused directions for further research and development in RF MEMS are identified.