SMARTIS Swiss (Smart Thin Films on Alumina Substrate Swiss )

• Research unit: INNOSUISSE
• Project number: 8269.1;5 NMPP-NM

Short description (German)

SMARTIS Swiss (Smart Thin Films on Alumina Substrate Swiss)

Short description (English)

SMARTIS Swiss (Smart Thin Films on Alumina Substrate Swiss )

Abstract (German)

This project covers several steps of an international project which aims the development of MEMS switches on alumina substrates. MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems) technology play a key role in the on-going miniaturization of electronic modules and systems in future telecommunications systems, as well as in automotive and consumer electronics subsystems. RF MEMS switches exhibit excellent RF properties such as low power consumption, high linearity, low loss and high isolation compared to solid state electronic solutions. One main drawback of the RF MEMS technology is the need for hermetic packaging which strongly impacts the insertion loss budget and the cost. Compared to existing RF MEMS technology that are usually processed on semiconductor substrates, in this project the RF MEMS devices are monolithically integrated by thin film technology on alumina substrates. This technology has the advantage, that reconfigurable passive microwave circuits can be co-integrated on the same substrate, whereby packaging is the key technology.

Abstract (English)

This project covers several steps of an international project which aims the development of MEMS switches on alumina substrates. MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems) technology play a key role in the on-going miniaturization of electronic modules and systems in future telecommunications systems, as well as in automotive and consumer electronics subsystems. RF MEMS switches exhibit excellent RF properties such as low power consumption, high linearity, low loss and high isolation compared to solid state electronic solutions. One main drawback of the RF MEMS technology is the need for hermetic packaging which strongly impacts the insertion loss budget and the cost. Compared to existing RF MEMS technology that are usually processed on semiconductor substrates, in this project the RF MEMS devices are monolithically integrated by thin film technology on alumina substrates. This technology has the advantage, that reconfigurable passive microwave circuits can be co-integrated on the same substrate, whereby packaging is the key technology.