MEMS RF Switches Integrated with High Voltage and Control Circuitry in Silicon on Sapphire
LE BOHEC, P.¹; REEDY, R.²; RICHAUD, J.^1
1PEREGRINE SEMICONDUCTOR EUROPE; ²PEREGRINE SEMICONDUCTOR Corp

Micro-electro-mechanical structures (MEMS) show great promise as RF switches, especially for frequencies from X through Ka bands (8-40 GHz) where solid state switches hit limits. Low insertion loss, high isolation and high linearity are potential strengths of MEMS RF switches, however, delivering these advantages at a product or system level requires several improvements. Among these are to deliver them on an appropriate RF substrate to avoid substrate effects; availability of high voltage, low noise DC control voltages; and demonstration of consistent, reliable operation over all required operating conditions. We will present activities underway at Peregrine Semiconductor to integrate MEMS switches on sapphire substrates with integrated high voltage generators and digital control circuits. We will discuss the potential system impact for satellite systems, especially for phased array antennas. Reliability and radiation effects will also be discussed along with potential system impact.