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Abstract: Dual pulse actuation voltage waveforms that are capable of mitigating micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) switch bouncing are presented. The displacement and velocity of the MEMS switch membrane actuated using these waveforms are then simulated and compared. To eliminate bouncing, the velocity of the membrane should ideally be zero just before contact is made. Otherwise the large momentum from high velocity impact will bounce the membrane back, extending the switching time and bringing about wear and tear to the contact surfaces. The effect of MEMS switch parameter variations on the bouncing membrane is then studied for switches with different gap widths. The impact of the variation in the voltage waveform is also investigated in this paper. The exponentially saturating dual-pulse actuation waveform has shown great robustness against both switch and voltage waveform parameter variations. The waveform also exhibited the fastest switching time for a wider range of parameters variations. Practical experiments were carried out on TeraVicta TT712-68CSP MEMS switch to corroborate the findings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a simple and robust process for fabrication of functional electrostatic RF-MEMS switching devices with lifetimes easily exceeding 108 cycles by unipolar actuation at 100Hz. The device implements a switchable air gap capacitor and is therefore not limited in lifetime by dielectric charging as opposed to contact-type capacitive switches implementing high-k dielectrics. Even though these switched air gap capacitors have a rather low capacitance ratio of around 5–6, they can still form adequate switching devices and RF-circuits by making use of properly designed transmission lines and when combined with high-Q inductors. Examples described include tunable notch band filters designed for the 2GHz and 20GHz range and a tunable stop band filter. The novelty of the proposed process is that it combines a sacrificial layer consisting of a single layer with a single dry etching step for the dimples which define the height of the air gap in the down-state. This air gap is switched by electrostatic actuation of a thick (7μm) electroplated nickel bridge structure. The device is realized in a 4 lithographic steps process with low complexity and high robustness. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]