An Approach of RF-MEMS Technology Platform

For Multi-band Multi-mode Handsets

White paper

Overview of key concepts:

• Multi-band multi-mode mobile handset trends

• Reconfigurable RF hardware
• Low voltage, high speed RF-MEMS switch
• Technology platform for high-volume production
• SoC integration of RF-MEMS

By : Christophe Pavageau, Olivier Millet, Ariel Cao

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INTRODUCTION
Wireless communication is a growing and very
competitive worldwide market. Technologies are
evolving at a rapid pace, especially for this
sector's flagship product, the mobile handset.
Handsets are becoming lighter weight, more
attractive, highly compact and have extended
talk-time. Technical advancements also include
enhanced functionality such as GPS, WiFi,
Bluetooth, digital TV, multimedia and Internet.
The introduction of new wireless standards (3G-
WCDMA/HSPA+, LTE) dictate the need for multi-
band multi-mode mobile handsets that can
accommodate backward-compatibility with the
existing 2G infrastructure (GSM/EDGE or CDMA)
and support roaming needs for extending
connectivity with regional specific allocation of
frequency-bands.
As a result, a mobile handset must handle an
increasing number of operating frequency-bands,
each having its own specific characteristics and
constraints. In general, today's multi-band multi-
mode handset contains multiple stacked RF front-
end modules (FEM), each optimized for a single
frequency band. This leads to component
duplication and complex RF hardware as well as
larger component count. On top of that, the
phone platform customization of each end
application and regional variant requires
advanced engineering, further escalating the
development costs. Until now, size reduction and
increased functionality per unit area have been
addressed by continuing chip scaling to the point
where off-chip, bulky passive RF components (like
high-Q inductors, ceramic filters, SAW filters,
varactor diodes and PIN diode switches) have
become limiting.
More than ever, new solutions for increased
RF hardware integration (more compact) and
optimal performance are needed. Rather than
duplicating mode-specific RF transceivers for each
new standard being supported, a more viable
solution is to make them reconfigurable. This
solution promises to lower material costs by
increasing re-use of components, resulting in
space saving, cost efficiency and reduced overall
current consumption.
TUNING RF CIRCUITS
The development of efficient tunable RF
filters, impedance-matching circuits and antennas
is a rich and promising area of innovation for both
RF designers and mobile handsets, although it
requires intensive R&D efforts. For successful
implementation, reconfigurable (or tunable) RF
circuits must have the ability to vary their
operating conditions according to the wireless
standard, while maintaining optimum
performance at the same time. This approach has
the potential to reduce the number of RF circuits
needed to implement the same functions, yet
have the capability to be individually tuned for
frequency bands and channels.
The challenge is that RF circuits cannot be re-
configured with the same ease as digital and base-
band circuits. On the contrary, passive devices
represent a significant part (>75%) of every
function within the RF hardware. By the nature of
their operation, these functions require ultra low-
loss (i.e. high quality factor) passive devices for
efficient implementation. Advanced MIMO
techniques, for smart antenna implementation in
wireless standards such as HSPA+, LTE or LTE-
advanced, have an even greater need for low-loss
passives. MIMO techniques enable significant
improvements in data throughput and link range,
while reducing bandwidth or transmitting power
requirements, but losses in a beamforming
network can compromise these benefits.
Simultaneously accommodating the exact and
heterogeneous specifications of multiple wireless
standards is a difficult challenge for traditional
semiconductor technologies, due to the
limitations associated with power handling,
linearity, insertion loss and isolation. These
limitations make it impractical to design low-loss
reconfigurable circuits based on semiconductor
tuning elements, whether it is continuous (analog)
or digital tuning. With RF frequencies, the poor
quality-factor of passive devices contributes to
losses that translate into considerable degradation
of the receiver sensitivity (noise figure
degradation) or the transmitter's power
efficiency. The consequence is increased power
consumption. Up until now, these limitations have
impacted the design of innovative solutions for
efficient reconfigurable RF hardware.
RF-MEMS RELAYS: A KEY ENABLER FOR NEXT-
GENERATION MULTI-BAND MULTI-MODE
HANDSET
MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems)
devices are microstructures in the range of a few
tenths of micrometers and operate mechanically.
Their primary goal is the implementation of

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electrical functions whose characteristics can be
adjusted during operation, thus enabling
reconfiguration for tunable circuits and
components (filter, matching network, etc.).
MEMS technologies for RF are attracting
considerable attention as an advanced means to
implement reconfigurable circuits that support
enhanced RF performance. They offer an
innovative solution to solving the RF design
challenges that currently limit the functionality of
today's semiconductor technologies. Within the
MEMS scope, RF-MEMS relays are switching
elements that offer concurrently wide bandwidth,
low insertion loss along with excellent isolation,
and outstanding linearity (>70 dBm). They deliver
expanded RF performance compared to PIN and
GaAs switches.
An important benefit of RF-MEMS technologies
is their ability to be manufactured using standard
semiconductor foundry tools. This supports the
possibility of System-on-Chip (SoC) integration by
post-processing on top of CMOS technologies or
Integrated Passive Devices (IPD) technologies [1]
[2], merging silicon electrical structures with
miniaturized high RF performance mechanical
structures. The benefits of SoC integration have
been well documented. Space saving not only
increases the functionality per unit area, but also
improves performance via a smaller electrical
path, resulting in lower losses and parasitics
which contribute to higher bandwidth. SoC can
potentially increase re-usability, reliability, and
reduce time-to-market.
RF-MEMS SWITCH OPPORTUNITIES
The growing number of wireless standards
being supported by multi-band multi-mode mobile
handsets, with their share of either stringent or
conflicting specifications, creates difficult design
challenges for developing an innovative
reconfigurable RF hardware solution. Making an
RF function reconfigurable is often synonymous
with increased complexity of implementation,
since it increases the number of passive devices
and length of interconnections. The use of RF
switches or relays with low loss and high linearity
are key enablers for digital tuning.
Tuning RF Filters
Tunable RF filters are a crucial step towards
reconfigurable systems. Various types of filter
structures exist and a common denominator is the
use of resonating structures with inductances and
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capacitors, the two most common passive
elements found in RF hardware. Tunability can be
implemented by varying the value of passive
elements, either in a continuous or discrete
fashion. For practical reasons, it has always been
easier and more straightforward to vary the
capacitor's values.
Semiconductor varactors are continuously
variable capacitors that can be controlled by
voltage. But the drawbacks are a relatively low
quality factor, low power handling, a lack of
linearity and a limited tuning range. These factors
reduce the viability of semiconductor varactors as
an optimal solution. MEMS varactors would be an
obvious alternative to the semiconductor
varactors, but they have a limited tuning range
from 5% to 15% [3].
Whether implemented with MEMS or
semiconductor technology, varactors require
dedicated circuits that generate an analog tuning
voltage. In addition, narrowband filter
applications demand precise control of the center
frequency. This requires the use of close-loop
controls and voltage references with band-gap
analog circuits in order to avoid thermal drift.
Analog tuning adds a level of complexity that is
not ideal for a mobile handset, but the continuous
tunability is only necessary in a limited set of
applications.
Figure 1: Digital capacitor bank implemented with
switching elements and fixed-value capacitors.
In that context, RF-MEMS switches deliver
enhanced functionality to digitally tuned RF
filters. Their low losses improve the filters'
insertion loss as well as their selectivity, which in
turn further reduces the complexity (i.e. the
filter's placement) and the quantity of
components.
3/11
Agile Impedance Matching
In RF hardware, impedance matching is an
important technical consideration. It maximizes
the power transfer by minimizing reflections
between two functions, thus improving system
efficiency and reducing power consumption. For
LNAs, the objective is similar, by matching the
optimal noise impedance in order to reduce the
receiver noise figure and hence increase its
sensitivity. Power or noise impedance matching
involves passive devices whose impedance varies
with the frequency; for example, capacitors,
inductors and transmission lines. Therefore,
impedance matching is typically used for narrow
(frequency) band to ensure optimum efficiency
(i.e. low loss). In multi-band multi-mode mobile
handsets, mismatch occurs when moving from one
channel frequency to another. The goal of
adaptive matching networks is to cancel out any
mismatch by dynamically adjusting their
impedance. Adaptive matching has been
successfully employed in a quad-band band-
switchable Power Amplifier (PA) operating at 0.9,
1.5, 2 and 5 GHz, demonstrating output power
and efficiency equal to those of single band PA
[4].
Reconfigurable Antennas
The possibility to electrically reconfigure an
antenna is an important technical option to
ensure that small antennas are efficiently
optimized for broadband. An antenna has a length
and a shape dedicated for a particular frequency
and radiation pattern. Connecting and
disconnecting two structures with a different
radiation pattern, or two different parts of the
same structure, will change the antenna's physical
dimension and thus its radiation pattern. RF-MEMS
relays can enable RF designers to use smaller and
physically diverse narrow-band antennas, enabling
optimum performance, while concurrently
supporting several frequency bands.
Reconfigurable antennas also provide a beneficial
advantage when implementing beam steering for
MIMO techniques (smart antenna) in new wireless
standards.
RF Signal Multiplexing
Interest in RF multiplexing has grown at a
rapid pace due to the advent of early multi-band
multi-mode mobile handsets. Considering the
clear advantages that tunable RF hardware
provides, the number of mode-specific RF
transceivers integrated in parallel will gradually
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be decreased, following the trend towards a
unique fully reconfigurable transceiver.
However, signal routing will still be necessary
in a multi-band multi-mode mobile handset, as
very heterogeneous standards coexist requiring
mode-specific transceivers. For instance, the WiFi
standard IEEE 802.11n has a carrier frequency of
5.8GHz while other standards have frequencies
ranging from 800MHz to 2GHz.
For multiplexing, RF-MEMS relays can be
arranged in Single Pole N-Throw structures and
ensure better trade-offs between insertion loss,
isolation and linearity compared to what other
switch technologies can achieve. Recent technical
advances have demonstrated that sub-
microsecond switching is do-able with RF-MEMS
technologies [5].
RF-MEMS CHALLENGES FOR CONSUMER
ELECTRONICS MARKET
For decades, the microelectronics industry has
focused on increasing the density of transistors to
address high-volume applications for the
consumer electronics market, thus following the
well-known “Moore's law” as a reliable economic
growth indicator. As this intense pace of
technology reaches the physical limits of “Moore's
law”, the microelectronics industry has responded
by engaging in tremendous R&D efforts in system
integration of heterogeneous technologies. Among
them, RF-MEMS technologies have generated high
expectations due to their enhanced technical
features and promising electrical performance.
But up until now, cost, reliability and
manufacturing yield issues have prevented RF-
MEMS from achieving both a commercial success
and integration in microelectronics systems.
Nevertheless, RF-MEMS remain an attractive
option, as no other solution is foreseen with
similar or superior attributes to respond to the
challenges of the “More than Moore's Law” trend.
A Multipurpose All-In-One Device
RF-MEMS switch supports a large spectrum of
applications in multi-band, multi-mode radios.
However, having one unique MEMS design that
answers the needs of all applications is hardly
feasible. Each application has its own
requirements in terms of power-handling
(switched and carry), switching-time, insertion
loss and isolation.
To illustrate this point, the power levels in a
4/11
RF front-end architecture vary drastically from
the receiver path to the transmitter path. In an
LTE-WCDMA handset, the maximum received level
at the antenna port is -25dBm and the maximum
transmit level is +23dBm, while backward
compatibility with GSM850/900 requires a
maximum level of +33dBm. With a RF-MEMS ohmic
switch, elevated switch power levels induce
electrical arcing between the metal contacts,
resulting in reliability issues. As a consequence,
elevated switch power levels require to increase
the detachment forces.
Classical RF-MEMS structures (bridge and
cantilever) are designed with a high level of
mechanical 'stiffness' for this purpose. However, it
implies the use of high actuation voltage, ranging
from 50 to 90V, that causes the DC-DC converter
to use a lot of power. In addition, using a unique
mechanical device to handle a wide range of
switched power levels consumes significant and
unnecessary battery power.
The initial challenge is to envision a
mechanical structure with a design that is flexible
enough for meeting the wide range of
requirements present in a handset terminal. It is
also crucial to optimize the actuation voltage and
device area, as they contribute substantially to
the mobile handset talk-time and cost. But design
flexibility is not the only answer. A breakthrough
innovative structure is necessary to go beyond the
usual limitations of classical MEMS structures
(cantilevers and bridges), in terms of switched
power level and actuation voltage, for instance.
Cost Issues For High-volume Production
Successful integration of RF-MEMS devices into
consumer electronics products, and particularly
into multi-band multi-mode handsets, requires a
manufacturing cost similar to current solutions,
despite the performance advantage offered by RF-
MEMS.
RF-MEMS technologies with surface
micromachining have several advantages that can
facilitate their adoption. They are processed using
classical semiconductor tools, so the technological
transfer is straightforward. When implemented on
high-volume semiconductor production line, RF-
MEMS deliver benefits such as device scalability,
robust process with broader process windows,
high repeatability and consistency over wafer map
(high uniformity).
Regarding optical lithography, the critical
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dimension – i.e. the minimum feature size – is the
primary cost factor per layer for both the mask
set and the equipment. The RF-MEMS process
stack is tolerant with critical dimensions in the
range of 2 to 5µm, which is 20 to 100 times
smaller at least than current semiconductor
technologies targeting high-volume applications.
Lithography operation steps for MEMS surface
micro machining are feasible on proven and
depreciated foundry production lines that have a
wafer entry cost significantly lower compared to
advanced production lines. A foundry could adopt
RF-MEMS to complement their depreciated lines
with RF MEMS devices that can co-integrate IPD
and active devices within a module. Good
scalability, high yield into a small die, along with
co-integration of IPD offers a low cost KGD
coupled with high RF performance.
Another integration option is a specialized
MEMS foundry. Similar to what is usually done in
semiconductor foundries, a MEMS foundry
develops a baseline process for offering a
portfolio of tailored MEMS designs which target
different classes of operation – for instance, the
switched power level, isolation factor, switching
speed, frequency range, etc. A RF-MEMS
technology platform enables multiple customer
needs to be addressed, while drastically reducing
non-recurring engineering and production costs.
Integration Roadmap Of RF-MEMS In A
Semiconductor Process Flow
The monolithic integration of MEMS switches
with a silicon-based or III-V process flow is the
ultimate technology integration goal but has
associated constraints. It is a cost-effective
process for high volumes and offers the smallest
die size, which consequently reduces the length of
interconnections and delivers improved electrical
performance. However, monolithic integration is
challenging because the MEMS and IC processes
are coupled. The risk of this approach is to
decrease yield and to extend development cycles
– resulting in longer time to market – in order to
ensure process and material compatibility
between both technologies, as well as packaging
hermeticity that is mandatory to ensure reliable
operation.
Therefore, the first step in the RF-MEMS
integration roadmap is SIP (System-In-Package)
integration. The associated benefits include lower
development cost, better manufacturing yield,
and a faster time-to-market. The second step is
5/11
monolithic integration for the ramp-up phase to
high volume and low cost production.
RF-MEMS Packaging
RF-MEMS devices require hermetic packaging
for reliable operations. Several wafer-level
packaged (WLP) solutions are possible, including
the bonding of a silicon cavity with through-vias
or horizontal feed through connections for I/Os,
or thin-film packaging (TFP), ceramic packaging,
etc.
WLP with a bonded silicon cavity has
tremendous limitations, both economically and
technically. For systems with low complexity and
few MEMS devices, this solution is too expensive in
high-volume production due to the large increase
in chip-size caused by the sealing ring. For large
and complex systems with a number of MEMS
devices, the size and the cost disadvantages are
lower, but strict technical limitations arise. For
example, the trade-off between the molding
pressure, the cavity dimensions and its thickness,
or the package parasitics which can significantly
lower the package cut-off frequency. These
drawbacks drastically limit the integration of RF-
MEMS in complex ICs for miniature consumer
electronics products.
With thin-film packaging (TFP), each MEMS
device is packaged individually on top of the
wafer, very close to the device's mechanical part.
TFP is in the category of wafer-level chip scale
packages (WL-CSP), as it minimizes the increase
of the MEMS' net area. It is a cost-effective
solution for the monolithic integration of a system
that includes a number of MEMS devices.
From a technical standpoint, TFP is extremely
flexible and modular with little restriction on the
size, the system layout complexity, and the
number of devices. Due to its compactness, TFP
adds inherently fewer parasitics into the RF path,
which consequently lowers the degradation of the
electrical performance and makes this package
well suited for RF and Microwave ICs. TFP is also a
viable solution for 3D chip stacking since on the
one hand, it uses thin-film layers for the MEMS
cover. On the other hand, thinning-down the
carrier wafer is not an issue with TFP on top.
Last but not least, TFP is not a separate
feature but an integral part of the MEMS device
structure. It is manufactured together with the
MEMS process, thus offering the potential to
deliver a single design-kit and can significantly
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simplify the electronic system design. The
packaging design task can be performed by the RF
or system designer without requiring particular
packaging manufacturing expertise. Consequently,
engineering efforts are substantially reduced in
the design of large systems.
A New Generation Of RF-MEMS Relays
DelfMEMS has defined a technology strategy to
develop a portfolio of highly reliable RF-MEMS
switches and relays that address the needs of high
volume production. DelfMEMS devices alleviate
problems existing with conventional MEMS
cantilever design (clamped-free beam) and bridge
design (doubled-clamped beam). Both structures
require a significant level of restoring-force to
counter adhesion – the tendency for microscopic
mechanical surfaces to stick together due to
surface contamination, electrostatic, Van der
Walls and hydrogen bonding forces. This restoring-
force is usually obtained by using mechanical
structures with both a high stiffness and a large
gap height (i.e. large vertical displacements)
between the relay's OFF-state (mechanical rest
position) and the ON-state (mechanical actuated
position). A large gap height is mandatory to avoid
degrading isolation. However, both high stiffness
and a large gap result in elevated actuation (bias)
voltage, typically between 50 to 90V.
DelfMEMS has developed a new generation of
RF-MEMS relays and switches, with ohmic contacts
and electrostatic actuation, protected by a
portfolio of patents. The concept is based on
breakthrough and unique mechanical innovations
with an anchor-less membrane and an active
restoring-force system (or anti-adhesion). As
illustrated in Figure 2, combining these two
features offers outstanding mechanical
properties, effectively transcending the classical
RF-MEMS challenges, unlike other designs that
attempt to resolve this challenge.
6/11
 the membrane stiffens, in the same manner as a
taut spring, creating a resisting force that
naturally raises the membrane's interior section
and promoting the activation of the relay into the
OFF-state.

Adhesion (stiction) is a common cause of

Figure 2: DelfMEMS’ approach solves the
traditional challenges of MEMS switching technology.
The DelfMEMS approach enables device
operation at low bias voltages along with low
insertion loss and high isolation. Low bouncing
effects increase the device's lifetime. The active
anti-adhesion system increases the total restoring-
force factor of the device by 5x to 10x,
significantly enhancing device reliability by
preventing adhesion as well as micro-arcing in
hot-switching power conditions.
failure in MEMS devices. Devices with classical RF-
MEMS technologies are designed with strong
restoring-force, which in turn greatly increases
the bias voltage. In order to counteract adhesion,
DelfMEMS devices are designed with a totally new
approach, aimed at keeping low-voltage operation
while preventing stiction. A patented active
restoring-force system has been designed [6],
which consists of a second pair of electrodes
placed outsides of the pillars (Figure 4). They
attract down the membrane's peripheral section
when a bias voltage is applied, which by
consequence, raises the membrane's central
section thanks to a lever-effect on the pillars
(Figure 4). This system adds an extra force to the
membrane's own restoring capabilities and is
actively controlled by the applied bias.

Device Structure And Anti-Stiction System

The DelfMEMS structure consists of a totally
free membrane (i.e. anchor-less) that is simply
supported by two pillars located on each side of
an interrupted transmission line (Figure 3 and
Figure 4). A system of self-aligned stoppers is
used to limit the membrane's drift in the x- and y-
directions.

The first pair of closing electrodes, located

under the membrane between the pillars and the
transmission line, supports the MEMS device's
responsiveness for the ON and OFF states. When a Figure 3: SEM view of DelfMEMS relay.
bias voltage is applied, it creates an electrostatic
force that pulls down the interior section of the
membrane. Similar to the threshold voltage of FET
transistors that must be exceeded to enable
electrical conduction, the MEMS device bias
voltage needs to be higher than the pull-in
voltage. This is defined when the electrostatic
force is sufficiently higher than the restoring force
to make the membrane collapse, thereby closing
the relay (ON-state). The contact line, fixed on
the membrane's bottom section and isolated with
a dielectric layer, initiates the electrical
connection. When the voltage bias is removed,

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 Figure 5: Insertion loss and isolation factor of
DelfMEMS structure.

Low Sensitivity To Shocks And Vibration

Unlike other RF-MEMS designs, the dual
electrode system also means that the membrane
always has two well defined actuated forced-
states – with a structure that is securely fastened
in a fixed mechanical position for both the ON and
OFF states. In addition to the pillars, the dual
electrode system provides a fulcrum-effect to the
membrane, therefore increasing the membrane
Figure 4: 3-D diagram of DelfMEMS relays.
stiffness.

Using a unique, patented approach, the Due to its securely fixed mechanical position
DelfMEMS structure ensures that the total and increased stiffness, the membrane is much
restoring force is increased by a factor 5x to 10x – less susceptible to impacts from shocks and
effectively enhancing device reliability by forcing vibrations. These two properties, combined with a
the OFF-state in case of adhesion – while enabling high deflection of the membrane center part,
a low-voltage actuation at the same time prevent any bouncing while the switch is opening
(contrary to classical MEMS structures). The active (Figure 6).
restoring-force system is an ideal solution for
Another advantage is that software monitoring
redundancy networks (e.g. in satellite
of the device state is not necessary since the
applications) where the relay is maintained in the
membrane is always secured in a fixed mechanical
same state for a very long time under a
position. It is not prone to failure caused by
continuous bias voltage, without experiencing any
adhesion mechanisms thanks to the active
decay in mechanical and electromagnetic
restoring force system.
performance.

Figure 5 shows the RF performance of the

DelfMEMS structure for a switch configuration
without packaging. This design has insertion loss
lower than 0.1dB at 2GHz with an associated
isolation factor of 50dB. At 40GHz, the respective
performances are 0.34dB and 25dB.

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Figure 6: Bouncing is reduced with the active
restoring-force (ARF) system. When the bias voltage is
increased from 12.5 to 18.5V, bounces disappear on the
switched signal.
Fast Switching Supported
The intrinsic properties of the anchor-less
membrane efficiently support fast switching
speed. The rise and fall times are lower than 20µs
at 12V, a value that falls down to 1µs at 27V.
Bias Voltage And Isolation Trade-off
In the OFF state, the gap height between the
membrane and the transmission line is an
important parameter when designing RF-MEMS
switches or relays with ohmic contact. It
significantly influences the isolation level and the
bias voltage but effective optimization can be
problematic. Decreasing the gap enables the bias
voltage to be reduced, but too low of a gap
jeopardizes a suitable isolation level by increasing
the OFF-state capacitance, and vice-versa.
With the DelfMEMS structure, the lever effect
obtained when biasing the peripheral electrodes
creates a significant vertical deflection that
reduces the gap height requirement. The result is
a relatively low bias voltage of 15V. In comparison
with other RF-MEMS technologies, bridge and
cantilever structures usually exhibit high
actuation voltage – typically ranging from 50 to
100V.
In addition, the large deflection of the
DelfMEMS structure ensures very low sensitivity to
self-biasing – the tendency of the device to self-
actuate. Self-biasing is caused by an electrostatic
force induced either by high levels of RF current
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carried on the RF line or by the loading/unloading
of large capacitors loads on a PCB.
Mechanical Design Optimization For Hot
Switching
Micro-arcing of the metal contacts increases
due to elevated switched power levels (i.e. hot-
switching conditions). The contact material is the
primary factor that determines if the switched
power level is properly handled. Gold alloys are
adapted to low power level while higher levels
(>20dBm) require materials from the platinum
series1. A second possibility is to allow operation
with higher bias voltage, which serves to diminish
some mechanical design trade-offs. The RF-MEMS
structure can be optimized to achieve greater
mechanical stiffness and thus higher restoring-
forces.
For a design using gold contacts, and not
specifically optimized for hot-switching,
preliminary results demonstrate a lifetime higher
than 150M-cycles at 1mA, 10M-cycles at 10mA and
3M-cycles at 30mA2.
Low Power RF-MEMS And Control Logic
RF-MEMS with electrostatic actuation have
capacitive drive terminals in the range of a few
pico farad. For static operation, the device does
not consume any power for both ON and OFF
states. The only power consumption occurs during
switching events due to the loading/unloading of
the terminal capacitances. For 1pF and a bias
voltage of 15V, the energy stored in the terminal
is 72pJ. If a device is toggled at 10kHz, the total
switching voltage would be less than 1.5µW.
Integrating a plurality of RF-MEMS in
microelectronics systems requires adding control-
logic, a custom electronic circuitry for achieving
compatible interfaces (Figure 7). The control-
logic consists of a DC-DC converter to adapt the
supply voltage and a driver unit that creates an
interface with logic-ICs. For example, a serial I/O
circuit that digitally controls one or a number of
RF-MEMS. The driver unit converts the low-voltage
level of the digital signal – typically 5V for a TTL
interface, 3.3V for LV-TTL or even lower with
logic-CMOS – to a higher level, ensuring
1 i.e. Rh, Pd, Ag, Os, Ir and Pt from the periodic table
of elements.
2 Measured on devices with a non-hermetic package.
The end-of-life criterion was the first functional
failure observed.
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compatibility with the required RF-MEMS bias Semiconductor Technology Integration
voltage. The relatively low bias voltage of
As mentioned earlier, RF-MEMS technologies
DelfMEMS design (15V) greatly reduces the
are manufactured with standard semiconductor
requirements for both elements. In comparison,
foundry tools, enabling SoC integration of RF-
other RF-MEMS designs with high bias voltage
MEMS with CMOS or Integrated Passive Devices
require costly and power-hungry DC-DC converters
(IPD). A technological demonstrator has been
and high-voltage driver units.
manufactured to show the feasibility of post-
processing DelfMEMS' proprietary technology on
top of an industrial IPD3 (Figure 8-a). The
demonstrator is a 2-bits tunable band-stop filter
that integrates relays with IPD high-density MIM
capacitors.

Figure 7: Control-logic for compatible interface

between embedded electronics logic-ICs and RF-MEMS.

Blocking Capacitors Not Required

The DelfMEMS structure effectively supports
the design of a switch as well as a relay. Relays Figure 8: DelfMEMS' proprietary technology on top
differ in a fundamental way since they have of an industrial IPD. (a) SEM view of the band-stop
filter after MEMS post processing, (b) MIM capacitor
separate RF and DC paths, making it unnecessary after IPD process (b), (c) electrical schematic of the
to use bias network passives such as a blocking band-stop filter. The system size is 1.2x1.2mm².
capacitor. This feature offers a significant
advantage over a GaAs-FET switch in applications
where component count reduction is of prime The filter is a simple CPW transmission line
importance. loaded by 4 shunt capacitors that may be
individually selected by a relay. The resonant
frequency of the filter changes according to the
Simplified Manufacturing
selected capacitor. Their values are 60pF, 130pF,
On the manufacturing side, the DelfMEMS 260pF and 470pF, creating rejection frequencies
design delivers numerous advantages compared to of 27.5GHz, 23GHz, 15.5GHz and 12GHz,
previous MEMS structures. The key benefits are respectively. Figure 9 indicates the filter response
simplified process control, enhanced product yield for several combinations of capacitors, showing
and reliability. As the membrane is anchor-less, different resonant frequencies and bandwidths.
the structure has little sensitivity to temperature
variations in the manufacturing process.
Consequently, the membrane can expand freely in
all directions. In addition, the anchor-less
membrane is entirely decoupled from the carrier
wafer and is impervious to curvature of the wafers
during wafer-level packaging process.

3 From IPDiA, using standard PICS (Passive

Integration Connective Substrate) industrial process
flow on 6” wafers [7].

DelfMEMS @ 2011 10/11

Bat B. Park Plaza II. 11 rue de l'Harmonie, 59650 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France

Website : http://www.delfmems.com/ // Blog : http://www.delfmems-blog.com // Twitter : http://www.twitter.com/DelfMEMS

Reader / Literature Inquiries // info@delfmems.com // Phone : +33 320 05 05 45


Figure 9: Simulated insertion loss of the band stop
filter when all relays are opened (black diamonds) and
when each MEMS relay is selected individually (left),
measured and simulated insertion loss obtained when
the SW and the NE relays are selected (right).
Post-processing MEMS above IPD was required
to ensure compatibility between both processes.
Some specific issues were a high step covering
(3µm) at the interconnection pads of the IPD
capacitors, metal compatibility and
contamination, and the integrity of the IPD
capacitors during the releasing step of the MEMS
relays. Adding a buffer layer and optimizing
various parameters, such as the stress level in
layers and the roughness of the deposit materials,
successfully resolved these issues. The results
provide a clear demonstration of the advantages
of DelfMEMS technology for post-processing versus
industrial IPD technology, and the feasibility of
SoC integration of RF-MEMS relays on top of chips.
DelfMEMS Industrialization
The MEMS process was transferred in a 6''
silicon foundry in combination with bonded silicon
caps. In this context, FMEA procedures were
based on a detailed root cause failure analysis
across a broad SPC data set derived from samples.
These results were also correlated using
probabilistic design (Monte Carlo analysis) set-up
to the process control windows (validated through
DOE for yield optimization) and mitigated for
potential sources of failure. The R&D team is
currently developing thin-film packaging and the
first demonstrators will become available in 2011.
DelfMEMS has made substantial investment in
reliability and testing methods to identify and
correct – early in the product development cycle –
DelfMEMS @ 2011
Bat B. Park Plaza II. 11 rue de l'Harmonie, 59650 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
Website : http://www.delfmems.com/ // Blog : http://www.delfmems-blog.com // Twitter : http://www.twitter.com/DelfMEMS
Reader / Literature Inquiries // info@delfmems.com // Phone : +33 320 05 05 45
performance and reliability issues. There is also
an extensive development effort for FEM and an
analytical model for CAD tools, with the objective
to deliver a foundry design-kit.
SUMMARY
The convergence of multiple wireless
standards within mobile handset design dictates a
crucial need for reconfigurable RF hardware to
support the increasingly complex demands of
system integration. Digital tuning using switching
elements is a promising solution that addresses
most applications needs while being far simpler to
implement compared to analog tuning. However,
loss and linearity issues associated with traditional
semiconductor technologies can jeopardize the
benefits of reconfiguration.
DelfMEMS offers an innovative, breakthrough
concept for making RF-MEMS switch & relay an
attractive solution for reconfigurable RF
hardware, making it highly feasible to tap into
new opportunities for multi-band multi-mode
mobile handsets. The DelfMEMS structure ensures
top RF performance together with low-voltage
bias, sub-microsecond switching time, enhanced
reliability and hot-switching capabilities. A
defining difference is that DelfMEMS is a highly
flexible technology platform that effectively
addresses the demand in the consumer electronics
market for high volume applications.
REFERENCES
1. www.ipdia.com
2. “Is it time for thin-film IPDs?”, Yole development,
3D Packaging, Newsletter on 3D IC, TSV, WLP &
Embedded Technologies, Issue N°12, September
2009.
3. Abbaspour-Tamijani A., Dussopt L., Rebeiz G. M.,
“Miniature and tunable filters using MEMS
capacitors,” IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory
& Techniques, vol. 51, no. 7, pp. 1878–1885, Jul.
2003.
4. Fukuda A., Okazaki H., Narahashi S., “Power
Amplifier for Broadband Applications Beyond the
Third-Generation - Multi-band High-efficiency
Power Amplifier Using MEMS Switches for Mobile
Terminals”, NTT DoCoMo Technical Journal, Vol. 8,
No. 3
5. http://delfmems.over-blog.com/article--1-s-
switching-time-has-been-achieved-by-delfmems-
39536910.html
6. European Patent EP1705676-B1, “RF MEMS switch
with a flexible and free switch membrane”.
7. F. Roozeboom et al, PowerSoC08, Sept. 22-24, 2008,
Cork, Ireland.
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