High Power Latching RF MEMS Switches

Latching RF MEMS Switches of Single-Pole-Single-Throw (SPST), Single-Pole-Double-Throw (SPDT) and Single-Pole-Triple-Throw (SP3T) types are proposed. The switches are built of a 20 μm thick nickel layer covered with a plated 2 μm gold on the top and side walls of nickel layer eliminating any potential warping due to thermal mismatch. The switches are actuated using a high stroke latching thermal actuator that exhibits a 32 μm displacement with a dc power of 250 mW under ambient pressure at 25°C (298°K) and 153 mW under vacuum at -193°C (80°K). The measured velocity for the actuator is 2.3 μm/msec. The RF measurement of the SPST switch is done under ambient and vacuum and over a wide range of temperatures from 25°C (298°K) to -193°C (80°K). The switches survived a temperature cyclic test from 25°C (298°K) to 85°C (358°K) with a total variation of 0.2 dB in insertion loss. The switch demonstrates a worst IP3 of 60.14 dBm and high power handling capabilities that exceeds 30 Watt, only tested for an hour in 1 cycle. The RF performance of the SPST, SPDT and SP3T exhibits a worst insertion loss of 0.8 dB, 1.2 dB and 1.5 dB up to 40 GHz, 40 GHz and 18 GHz, respectively.