Design of Stictionfree - Lower Pull in Voltage RF MEMS Switch Using Varying Section Cantilever Beam

Abstract

A new varying section cantilever beam type RF MEMS switch has been proposed. The main advantage of this switch is that it is inherently stiction free and therefore enhances design flexibility. An analytical model developed using unit load approach for the spring constant of the proposed switch has been presented and it has been shown that the spring constant and therefore the pull in voltage (Vpi) can be considerably reduced with the proposed switch. Simulation studies conducted on two groups of devices clearly demonstrate that the pull in voltage can be reduced by 26% with ten sections. Comparision of the pull in voltage obtained in the simulation studies for devices with the theoretically estimated Vpi shows that the spring constant model presented in this paper accurately estimates the spring constant. The results of analytical studies also demonstrate that the new proposed cantilever beam can considerably reduce the pull in voltage.