An electrostatic fringing-field actuator (EFFA): application towards a low-complexity thin-film RF-MEMS technology Export

@article{citeulike:3156757, abstract = {This paper presents a novel electrostatic actuator using fringing fields as the actuation mechanism, i.e. an electrostatic fringing-field actuator or EFFA. The novel device is produced on an insulating substrate in a simple two-mask process involving only one sacrificial layer and one metallization. To demonstrate the EFFA capabilities, we produced and characterized EFFAs in various technological implementations of remarkable simplicity. This simplicity allows a vast flexibility for the processing and as a result strongly eases the integration of the EFFAs into existing technologies. For the basic device, we report a non-de-embedded measured capacitance ratio of 1:3 and a lifetime of more than 107 cycles with 40 V bipolar actuation at 100 Hz in N2 atmosphere. Both the capacitance ratio and the C-V profile were tuned by modifying the technology, e.g. coating the substrate before processing the EFFAs and the design, e.g. switching from clamped-free to clamped-clamped devices. We finally report a complete RF-MEMS technology using the EFFAs as single actuators. Switchable and tunable LC tanks, phase shifters, series and shunt parallel-plate capacitors actuated as relays and capacitive relays are presented to demonstrate the possibilities of this technology.}, author = {Rottenberg, X. and Brebels, S. and Ekkels, P. and Czarnecki, P. and Nolmans, P. and Mertens, R. P. and Nauwelaers, B. and Puers, R. and Wolf, De I. and Raedt, De W. and Tilmans, H. A. C.}, citeulike-article-id = {3156757}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0960-1317/17/7/S19}, doi = {10.1088/0960-1317/17/7/S19}, journal = {Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering}, keywords = {actuation, electrostatic, fringing-field, mems, rf-mems}, number = {7}, pages = {S204--S210}, posted-at = {2008-08-26 18:15:20}, priority = {0}, title = {An electrostatic fringing-field actuator (EFFA): application towards a low-complexity thin-film RF-MEMS technology}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0960-1317/17/7/S19}, volume = {17}, year = {2007} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:3156757 L3 - citeulike-article-id:3156757 N2 - This paper presents a novel electrostatic actuator using fringing fields as the actuation mechanism, i.e. an electrostatic fringing-field actuator or EFFA. The novel device is produced on an insulating substrate in a simple two-mask process involving only one sacrificial layer and one metallization. To demonstrate the EFFA capabilities, we produced and characterized EFFAs in various technological implementations of remarkable simplicity. This simplicity allows a vast flexibility for the processing and as a result strongly eases the integration of the EFFAs into existing technologies. For the basic device, we report a non-de-embedded measured capacitance ratio of 1:3 and a lifetime of more than 107 cycles with 40 V bipolar actuation at 100 Hz in N2 atmosphere. Both the capacitance ratio and the C-V profile were tuned by modifying the technology, e.g. coating the substrate before processing the EFFAs and the design, e.g. switching from clamped-free to clamped-clamped devices. We finally report a complete RF-MEMS technology using the EFFAs as single actuators. Switchable and tunable LC tanks, phase shifters, series and shunt parallel-plate capacitors actuated as relays and capacitive relays are presented to demonstrate the possibilities of this technology. IS - 7 JF - Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering EP - S210 TI - An electrostatic fringing-field actuator (EFFA): application towards a low-complexity thin-film RF-MEMS technology VL - 17 SP - S204 KW - actuation KW - electrostatic KW - fringing-field KW - mems KW - rf-mems AU - Rottenberg, X AU - Brebels, S AU - Ekkels, P AU - Czarnecki, P AU - Nolmans, P AU - Mertens, RP AU - Nauwelaers, B AU - Puers, R AU - Wolf, De AU - Raedt, De AU - Tilmans, HAC PY - 2007/// UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0960-1317/17/7/S19 ER -