Enabling of Embedded RF-MEMS Microwave Integrated Circuit Process for Space Applications
ESA RFMEMS
Objective
- Pre-evaluation of the reliability for embedded RF-MEMS switches
- Reliability tests with respect to space qualifications tests (step stress tests, thermal storage, endurance tests, environmental tests)
IHP's Contribution
- Development of 50 GHz RF-MEMS switch for space applications
- Provide chipsets to project partners for extensive reliability tests
Motivation
- RF-MEMS switches are advantages over their semiconductor competitors like PIN diodes or FET transistors due to their low insertion loss and high isolation, high linearity and nearly zero power consumption;
- Monolithic integration of RF-MEMS in a BiCMOS technology provides the possibility to achieve very highperformance chipsets due to the non-existing parasitics of packaging and the high level of integration;
- Reliability is still one of the main concerns for the operation of RF-MEMS switches especially for space applications.
Funding
This project has received funding from the European Space Agency under contract Nº 4000112274/14/NL/RA.
Project Partners
THALES ALENIA SPACE (France)Selected Publications
M. Kaynak, M. Wietstruck, W. Zhang, J. Drews, R. Barth, D. Knoll, F. Korndörfer, R. Scholz, K. Schulz, Ch. Wipf, B. Tillack, K. Kaletta, M. v. Suchodoletz, K. Zoschke, M. Wilke, O. Ehrmann, A.C. Ulusoy, T. Purtova, G. Liu, H. Schumacher, "Packaged BiCMOS Embedded RF-MEMS Switches with Integrated Inductive Loads", Proc. IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest (MTT), 2012
M. Kaynak, M. Wietstruck, W. Zhang, J. Drews, R. Scholz, D. Knoll, F. Korndörfer, Ch. Wipf, K. Schulz, M. Elkhouly, K. Kaletta, M. v. Suchodoletz, K. Zoschke, M. Wilke, O. Ehrmann, V. Mühlhaus, G. Liu, T. Purtova, A.C. Ulusoy, H. Schumacher, B. Tillack, "RF-MEMS Switch Module in a 0.25 μm BiCMOS Technology", Proc. IEEE 12th Topical Meeting on Silicon Monolithic Integrated Circuits in RF Systems (SiRF), pp. 25-28 , 2012
M. Wietstruck, G. Kahmen, A. Goeritz, S. Tolunay, B. Tillack, and M. Kaynak, "Reliability of BiCMOS embedded MEMS Varactors for Wideband RF VCO Applications", Proc. International Symposium on RF MEMS and RF Microsystems (MEMSWAVE 2015), 108 (2015)
