Surface micromachined microelectromechancial ohmic series switch using thin-film piezoelectric actuators

This paper presents results on a surface micromachined RF microelectromechanical switch that uses piezoelectric actuators. The switch uses solution chemistry-derived lead zirconate titanate thin films spun deposited onto a high-resistivity silicon substrate with coplanar waveguide transmission lines. Actuation voltages, applied via circuits independent of the RF circuitry, average less than 10 V, with switch operation demonstrated as low as 2 V. The series switch exhibits better than 20-dB isolation from dc up to 65 GHz and as large as 70 dB below 1 GHz. In the closed state, the switch has an insertion loss less than 1 dB up to 40 GHz, limited in this demonstration by substrate losses from the elastic layer used to stress control the piezoelectric actuators. Switching speeds for the different designs are in the range of 40-60 ms. Thermal sensitivity measurements show no change in isolation observed for temperatures up to 125 degrees C. However, an increase in actuation voltage is required at elevated temperatures.