Micro electromechanical RF switch

• US 5,578,976 A
• Filed: 06/22/1995
• Issued: 11/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Teledyne Scientific & Imaging, LLC (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
• Inventors: Yao, Jun J.
• Primary Examiner(s): GENSLER, PAUL L
• Application Number:
  US08/493,445
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 333/101, 333/105, 333/262, 310/309, 200/181, 200/245, 200/246
• US Class Current: 333/262
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/20 Bridging contacts for circuit breakers H01H73/045
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 59/0009 making use of micromechanics

Abstract

A micro electromechanical RF switch is fabricated on a substrate using a suspended microbeam as a cantilevered actuator arm. From an anchor structure, the cantilever arm extends over a ground line and a gapped signal line that comprise microstrips on the substrate. A metal contact formed on the bottom of the cantilever arm remote from the anchor is positioned facing the signal line gap. An electrode atop the cantilever arm forms a capacitor structure above the ground line. The capacitor structure may include a grid of holes extending through the top electrode and cantilever arm to reduce structural mass and the squeeze damping effect during switch actuation. The switch is actuated by application of a voltage on the top electrode, which causes electrostatic forces to attract the capacitor structure toward the ground line so that the metal contact closes the gap in the signal line. The switch functions from DC to at least 4 GHz with an electrical isolation of -50 dB and an insertion loss of 0.1 dB at 4 GHz. A low temperature fabrication process allows the switch to be monolithically integrated with microwave and millimeter wave integrated circuits (MMICs). The RF switch has applications in telecommunications, including signal routing for microwave and millimeter wave IC designs, MEMS impedance matching networks, and band-switched tunable filters for frequency-agile communications.

Claims

1. A micro electromechanical switch formed on a substrate, comprising:

an anchor structure, a bottom electrode, and a signal line formed on the substrate;

said signal line having a gap forming an open circuit;

a cantilever arm formed of insulating material attached to said anchor structure and extending over said bottom electrode and said signal line gap;

an electrical contact formed on said cantilever arm remote from said anchor structure and positioned facing said gap in said signal line;

a top electrode formed atop said cantilever arm; and

a portion of said cantilever arm and said top electrode positioned above said bottom electrode forming a capacitor structure electrostatically attractable toward said bottom electrode upon selective application of a voltage on said top electrode.

2. The micro electromechanical switch of claim 1, wherein said electrostatic attraction of said capacitor structure toward said bottom electrode causes said electrical contact on said cantilever arm to close said gap in said signal line.

3. The micro electromechanical switch of claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises a semi-insulating GaAs substrate.

4. The micro electromechanical switch of claim 1, wherein said cantilever arm comprises silicon dioxide.

5. The micro electromechanical switch of claim 1, wherein said capacitor structure further comprises a grid of holes extending through said cantilever arm and top electrode.

6. A micro electromechanical RF switch formed on a substrate, comprising:

an anchor structure, a bottom electrode, and a signal line formed on the substrate;

said signal line having a gap forming an open circuit;

a cantilever arm attached to said anchor structure and extending over said bottom electrode and said signal line gap;

a metal contact formed on said cantilever and remote from said anchor structure and positioned facing said gap in said signal line;

a top electrode formed on said cantilever arm and extending to a position opposite said bottom electrode;

a portion of said cantilever arm and said top electrode positioned opposite said bottom electrode forming a capacitor structure;

said capacitor structure having a grid of holes extending through said cantilever arm and top electrode; and

a voltage selectively applied to said top electrode generating an electrostatic force attracting said capacitor structure toward said bottom electrode thereby causing said metal contact on said cantilever arm to close said gap in said signal line.

7. The micro electromechanical RF switch of claim 6, wherein said substrate comprises a semi-insulating substrate.

8. The micro electromechanical RF switch of claim 7, wherein said semi-insulating substrate comprises a semi-insulating GaAs substrate.

9. The micro electromechanical RF switch of claim 6, wherein said cantilever arm is formed of silicon dioxide.

10. The micro electromechanical RF switch of claim 6, wherein said grid of holes extending through said cantilever arm and top electrode reduce structural mass and the squeeze film damping effect during actuation of the switch.

11. A micro electromechanical RF switch formed on a substrate, comprising:

an anchor structure, a metal bottom electrode, and a metal signal line formed on the substrate;

said signal line having a gap forming an open circuit;

a cantilever arm formed of insulating material attached to said anchor structure and extending over said bottom electrode and said signal line gap;

a metal contact formed on said cantilever arm remote from said anchor structure and positioned facing said gap in said signal line;

a metal top electrode formed atop said cantilever arm and extending to a position opposite said bottom electrode;

a capacitor structure comprising a portion of said cantilever arm and said top electrode positioned opposite said bottom electrode, said capacitor structure having a grid of holes extending through said cantilever arm and top electrode; and

the switch actuatable by a voltage selectively applied to said top electrode for generating an electrostatic force to attract said capacitor structure toward said bottom electrode and thereby close said gap in said signal line with said metal contact on said cantilever arm.

12. The micro electromechanical RF switch of claim 11, wherein said substrate comprises semi-insulating substrate.

13. The micro electromechanical RF switch of claim 12, wherein said semi-insulating substrate comprises a semi-insulating GaAs substrate.

14. The micro electromechanical RF switch of claim 11, wherein said insulating material forming said cantilever arm comprises silicon dioxide.

15. The micro electromechanical RF switch of claim 11, wherein said grid of holes extending through said cantilever arm and top electrode reduces structural mass and the squeeze film damping effect of air during actuation of the switch.

16. The micro electromechanical RF switch of claim 11, wherein said bottom electrode and signal line comprise gold microstrips on the substrate.

17. The micro electromechanical RF switch of claim 11, wherein said metal contact comprises a metal selected form the group consisting of gold, platinum, and gold palladium.

18. The micro electromechanical RF switch of claim 11, wherein said cantilever arm has a thickness in the range of 1-10 μ

m.

19. The micro electromechanical RF switch of claim 11, wherein said cantilever arm has a length from anchor structure to capacitor structure in the range of 10-1000 μ

m.