High-Isolation Shunt-Series MEMS Switch for a Wide Frequency Range (6-40GHz)

M. FERNÁNDEZ-BOLAÑOS, P. DAINESI, A.M. IONESCU

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Nanolab, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerlan, Phone: +41 21 693 46 07

Abstract. This paper reports on a capacitive shunt and an ohmic series RF MEMS switches behaving with high performances in a wide range of frequencies (6 to 40 GHz). The shunt switch produces an insertion loss of 1.1dB and an isolation better than 30dB at 40GHz. On the other hand, the series switch has a measured isolation and return loss better than 25dB and less than -15dB respectively, for the entire range. A cascade configuration of both devices suggests that a very high isolation is achievable (better than -40dB over the frequency range of 6 to 40GHz), while keeping low the insertion (-1.1dB) and return losses (better than -17dB).