DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF MEMS CAPACITIVE SHUNT TYPE SWITCH FOR RF APPLICATIONS

RF-MEMS is a promising technology that has the potential to revolutionize RF and microwave system implementation for next generation telecommunication applications [1]. In this paper, a MEMS capacitive shunt type switch is design and analyzed for RF applications. This new switch design focuses on the failure mechanisms restriction, the simplicity in fabrication, the power handling and consumption, as well as controllability with electromagnetic characteristics. The MEMS switch is designed in both ON and OFF states. The proposed MEMS switch has dimension of 508 µm × 620 µm with a height of 500 µm and implemented on GaAs as a substrate material with relative permittivity of 12.9. The electrostatic and electromagnetic analyses of the designed RF-MEMS Switch have been performed using Ansoft High frequency structure simulator (HFSS) electromagnetic simulator tool.