RF MEMS capacitive switches for high power applications
High power radio frequency (RF) electronics have enormous impact in our everyday lives by supporting technology domains such as the radars and the long range communication systems, ensuring for example safe, effective and potentially "greener" transportation of people and goods around the world. These implementations are only viable if supported by electronic components capable to meet a demanding ensemble of requirements. Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) since their early appearance shown an exceptional potential to support RF applications and therefore over the recent years their utilization in the high power domain is gaining increasing attention. Operating in this regime requires considering additional aspects typically not so crutial for low power applications making this an even more demanding task. To this direction this talk aspires to present the major steps and features considered during the development of bridge type RF MEMS capacitive switches suitable for high power implementations including design, fabrication, characterization and high power related reliability aspects.