A zero static power consumption bi-stable RF MEMS switch based on inertial generated timing sequence method

This paper reports on a novel in-plane and electrostatically actuated bi-stable radio frequency (RF) microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switch. A lateral RF MEMS switch designed by the inertial generated timing sequence (IGTS) method is able to latch sequentially by only a single voltage signal. In the switch design, we applied a mass block to one of the two mutually perpendicular cantilevers to achieve an extremely simple bi-stable process. Compared with previous bi-stable RF MEMS switches, the proposed device does not require driving signals with complicated timing sequences to realize latch. Therefore, the hardware complexity of RF systems is reduced, and the driving method becomes easier than before. Thanks to the bi-stable function, the power consumption only generates between the OFF and ON state, resulting in zero static power consumption. The switch was fabricated by silicon-on-glass (SOG) processes with only two lithographic masks. Measured results have shown that the manufactured RF MEMS switch successfully realized the bi-stable function at an operating voltage of 38 V. At 6 GHz, the measured isolation was - 33.18 dB, while the insertion loss was below - 1.9 dB. The presented switch in this paper is dedicated for low power consumption and low hardware redundancy wireless communication systems.

Automated summary

This paper presents a novel in-plane and electrostatically actuated bi-stable RF MEMS switch. The switch is designed to latch sequentially with a single voltage signal, reducing hardware complexity and power consumption. The fabricated switch successfully achieves bi-stable function with low insertion loss and high isolation, making it suitable for low power consumption and low hardware redundancy wireless communication systems.