The replacement of gold-based contacts to better performing ruthenium-based contacts has improved contact reliability in CEA-Leti's RF MEMS switch technology, which is used in microwave telecommunication systems.

In a statement, the firm said its switch technology has reached a "new level of maturity" and will deliver a "significantly improved" manufacturing process to customers.

A "major advance" was also made in the reliability of the devices' electrostatic actuators, the company added.

Its new switch design uses a dielectric-less solution in which an air gap prevents contact between the electrodes when the bridge is down.

Tests show a "drastic improvement" in the reliability of the switches, as well as no pull-down voltage drift.

"Contact reliability has been improved by replacing the gold-based contacts that exhibited poor reliability and high sensitivity to stiction with better-performing ruthenium-based contacts," CEA-Leti added.

In addition, a hermetic thin-film packaging process has been developed to prevent organic contamination and to maintain low contact resistance.

The new manufacturing process for the switches has been demonstrated on 200mm silicon wafers at the MINATEC dedicated MEMS fabrication platform.

Source:

CEA-Leti makes breakthrough in RF MEMS technology (12/07/11) 

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