Novel high-Q MEMS curled-plate variable capacitors fabricated in 0.35-μm CMOS technology

IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques

Volumn 56, Issue 2, 2008, Pages 530-541

  Bakri Kassem, Maher ^a,b,c   Fouladi, Siamak ^a,b   Mansour, Raafat R ^a,b  

^a IEEE

^b UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO   (Canada)

^c Egypt   (United States)

Author keywords

CMOS microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) integration; MEMS; MEMS varactor; Post processing; RF integrated circuits (RFICs); Variable capacitor

Indexed keywords

CMOS INTEGRATED CIRCUITS; FINITE ELEMENT METHOD; NATURAL FREQUENCIES; VARACTORS; WET ETCHING;

CMOS MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS (MEMS) INTEGRATION; POST PROCESSING;

MEMS;

EID: 38849202431     PISSN: 00189480     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1109/TMTT.2007.914657     Document Type: Article

References (25)

1. G. Rebeiz, RFMEMS: Theory, Design, and Technology, 1st ed. New York: Wiley, 2003.
2. I. Borwick, R. L. P. Stupar, J. DeNatale, R. Anderson, and R. Erlandson, "Variable MEMS capacitors implemented into RF filter systems," IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 315-319, Jan. 2003.
3. M. Bakri-Kassem, and R. Mansour, "Two movable-plate nitride-loaded MEMS variable capacitor," IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., vol. 52, no. 3, pp. 831-837, Mar. 2004.
4. F. Faheem, K. Gupta, and Y.-C. Lee, "Flip-chip assembly and liquid crystal polymer encapsulation for variable MEMS capacitors," IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., vol. 51, no. 12, pp. 2562-2567, Dec. 2003.
5. M. Bakri-Kassem and R. Mansour, "A high-tuning-range MEMS variable capacitor using carrier beams," Can. J. Elect Comput. Eng., vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 89-95, Spring, 2006.
6. C. Tsai, P. Stupar, I. Berwick, R. L. M. Pai, and J. DeNatale, "An isolated tunable capacitor with, a linear capacitance-voltage behavior," in 12th Int. Solid-State Sens., Actuators, Microsyst Conf., Jun. 8-12, 2003, vol. 1, pp. 833-836.
7. M. Bakri-Kassem and R. Mansour, "High tuning range parallel plate MEMS variable capacitors with arrays of supporting beams," in 19th IEEE Int. MEMS Conf., Istanbul, Turkey, Jan. 22-26, 2006, pp. 666-669.
8. A. Oz and G. Fedder, "CMOS-compatible RF-MEMS tunable capacitors," in IEEE MTT-S Int. Microw. Symp. Dig., Jun. 8-13, 2003, vol. 1, pp. A97-A100.
9. J. Muldavin, C. Bozler, S. Rabe, and C. Keast, "Large tuning range analog and multi-bit MEMS varactors," in IEEE MTT-S Int. Microw. Symp. Dig., Jun. 6-11, 2004, vol. 3, pp. 1919-1922.
10. T. Rijks, J. van Beek, P. Steeneken, M. Ulenaers, J. De Coster, and R. Puers, "RF MEMS tunable capacitors with, large tuning ratio," in 17th IEEE Int. MEMS Conf., 2004, pp. 777-780.
11. S. Fouladi, M. Bakri-Kassem, and R. R. Mansour, "An integrated tunable bandpass filter using MEMS parallel-plate variable capacitors implemented with 0.35 μm CMOS technology," in IEEE MTT-S Int. Microw. Symp. Dig., Jun. 3-8, 2007, pp. 505-508.
12. H. Xie, Y. Pan, and G. Fedder, "A CMOS-MEMS mirror with, curled-hinge comb drives," J. Microelectromech. Syst., vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 450-457, Aug. 2003.
13. G. Fedder, S. Santhanam, M. Reed, S. Eagle, D. Guillou, M.-C. Lu, and L. Carley, "Laminated high-aspect-ratio microstructures in a conventional CMOS process," in Proc. 9th Annu. Int. IEEE MEMS Workshop, Feb. 11-15, 1996, pp. 13-18.
14. C.-T. Ko, J.-P. Wu, W.-C. Wang, C.-H. Huang, S.-H. Tseng, Y.-L. Chen, and M.-C. Lu, "A highly sensitive CMOS-MEMS capacitive tactile sensor," in Proc. 19th Int. IEEE MEMS Conf., Istanbul, Turkey, Jan. 22-26, 2006, pp. 642-645.
15. K. Williams, K. Gupta, and M. Wasilik, "Etch rates for micromachining processing - Part II," J. Microelectromech. Syst., vol. 12, no. 6, pp. 761-778, Dec. 2003.
16. S. D. Senturia, Microsystem Design, F. Printing, Ed. Norwell, MA: Kluwer, 2002.
17. R. F. Harrington, Field Computation by Moment Methods Book, 1st ed. New York: Wiley, 2001.
18. Y. Yoon and B. Kim, "A new formula for effective dielectric constant in multi-dielectric layer microstrip structure," in IEEE Elect. Perform. Electron. Packag. Conf., Oct. 23-25, 2000, pp. 163-167.
19. G. Zhang, H. Xie, L. de Rosset, and G. Fedder, "A lateral capacitive CMOS accelerometer with structural curl compensation," in Proc. 12th IEEE Int. MEMS Conf, Jan. 17-21, 1999, pp. 606-611.
20. M.-A. Eyoum, N. Hoivik, C. Jahnes, J. Cotte, and X.-H. Liu, "Analysis and modeling of curvature in copper-based structures fabricated using CMOS interconnect technology," in 13th Int. Solid-State Sens., Actuators, Microsyst Conf. Tech. Dig., Jun. 5-9, 2005, vol. 1, pp. 764-767.
21. N. Hoivik, M. Michalicek, Y. Lee, K. Gupta, and V. Bright, "Digitally controllable variable high-Q MEMS capacitor for RF applications," in IEEE MTT-S Int. Microw. Symp. Dig., May 20-25, 2001, vol. 3, pp. 2115-2118.
22. R. Legtenberg, J. Gilbert, S. Senturia, and M. Elwenspoek, "Electrostatic curved electrode actuators," J. Microelectromech. Syst., vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 257-265, Sep. 1997.
23. L. C. Wei, A. Mohammad, and N. Kassim, "Analytical modeling for determination of pull-in voltage for an electrostatic actuated MEMS cantilever beam," in Proc. Int. IEEE Semiconduct. Electron. Conf., Dec. 19-21, 2002, pp. 233-238.
24. Y.-C. Hu, "Closed form solutions for the pull-in voltage of micro curled beams subjected to electrostatic loads to electrostatic loads," J. Micromech. Microeng., vol. 16, pp. 648-655, Mar. 2006.
25. G. K. Fedder, "Simulation of microelectromechanical systems," Ph.D. dissertation, Dept. Elect. Eng. Comput. Sci., Univ. California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 1994.