Performance improvement of rf MEMS capacitive switches with high-dielectric-constant materials

Hargsoon Yoon; Yanan Sha; Pramod K Sharma; K. J. Vinoy; Vijay K. Varadan; Vasundara V. Varadan

doi:10.1117/12.436618

16 August 2001 Performance improvement of rf MEMS capacitive switches with high-dielectric-constant materials

Hargsoon Yoon, Yanan Sha, Pramod K Sharma, K. J. Vinoy, Vijay K. Varadan, Vasundara V. Varadan

Proceedings Volume 4334, Smart Structures and Materials 2001: Smart Electronics and MEMS; (2001) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.436618
Event: SPIE's 8th Annual International Symposium on Smart Structures and Materials, 2001, Newport Beach, CA, United States

Abstract

A novel approach to improve the performance of a capacitive shunt switch using high dielectric constant materials and monolithic integration based on copper interconnection process is investigated here. To get a high isolation and low actuation voltage, a high dielectric constant material (Ba_0.65Sr_0.35TiO₃) was used in the MIM (metal- insulator-metal) structure, which determines switching isolation characteristics. The realized dielectric constant of this BST thin film was 367 for a thickness of 1500Å. When the BST film is used between the membrane and transmission line instead of silicon nitride, the air gap can be reduced into 1.85 μm with isolation ratio of 4500:1 and actuation voltage of 18 V. In case of 0.85 μm air gap, it is expected to give the isolation ratio of over 2000:1 and actuation voltage less than 7 V. We have also investigated a monolithic integration process of RF MEMS switch with CMOS circuitry using a back-end-of-line process of Cu interconnection technology. This process integration is based on the 6 level Cu interconnection process that includes the MIM capacitor structure.

Citation Download Citation

Hargsoon Yoon, Yanan Sha, Pramod K Sharma, K. J. Vinoy, Vijay K. Varadan, and Vasundara V. Varadan "Performance improvement of rf MEMS capacitive switches with high-dielectric-constant materials", Proc. SPIE 4334, Smart Structures and Materials 2001: Smart Electronics and MEMS, (16 August 2001); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.436618

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