MEMS Phase Shifter With Membrane Bridges
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional phase shifters face limitations in power capacity, power consumption, manufacturing complexity, and cost, with MEMS phase shifters offering advantages but still requiring improvements in design for enhanced performance.
Innovation Solution
A radio frequency device featuring a phase shifter with a dielectric substrate, signal and reference electrodes, membrane bridges, and an insulating layer, where the membrane bridges span gaps between reference electrodes, allowing for adjustable capacitance and phase shifting through direct current bias voltages, enabling flexible phase shift degrees and reduced insertion loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a ferrite phase shifter is used, then power capacity and insertion loss performance are improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The reference electrode is divided into multiple reference sub-electrodes arranged side by side with gaps between them. This segmentation allows the membrane bridge to be positioned over the gaps, creating a capacitive structure that simplifies manufacturing while maintaining power capacity and insertion loss performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional ferrite material-based phase shifting mechanism with a MEMS-based capacitive structure. By using a membrane bridge that can be actuated by DC bias voltage to change capacitance, the system achieves phase shifting without requiring complex ferrite material processing, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity.
2Area of stationary object
If a semiconductor phase shifter is used, then footprint and operating speed are improved, but power capacity decreases and process difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane bridge is designed to be movable rather than fixed. By applying DC bias voltage, the membrane bridge can be actuated to change its position relative to the signal electrode, dynamically adjusting the capacitance and achieving phase shifting. This dynamic structure enables compact footprint while maintaining adequate power capacity through the capacitive mechanism.
3Reliability
If membrane bridges are added to span gaps between reference electrodes, then phase shifting capability and insertion loss are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane bridge serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a reference electrode, forms a capacitor with the signal electrode for phase shifting, and provides a compact structural element that spans the gaps between reference sub-electrodes. By merging these functions into a single component, the design achieves improved insertion loss and phase shifting capability without proportionally increasing structural complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design achieves efficient phase shifting with adjustable phase shift degrees, minimal insertion loss, and reduced manufacturing complexity, addressing the limitations of traditional phase shifters while enhancing performance.
Implementation Method 1
different direct current bias voltages may be applied to the branch structure and the membrane bridge corresponding to each other, so as to form different electrostatic forces
Implementation Method 2
a capacitance value between the membrane bridge and the branch structure is changed, thereby achieving the phase shifting
Data Source
AI summary
A radio frequency device and an electronic device are provided. The radio frequency device includes: a first dielectric substrate and at least one phase shift unit, each including a signal electrode and a first and second reference electrodes; first and/or second reference electrodes include reference sub-electrodes arranged side by side, and first gaps between every two adjacent reference sub-electrodes; the signal electrode includes a main structure between the first and second reference electrodes and branch structures electrically connected to the main structure, and each branch structure extends into one corresponding first gap; the radio frequency device further includes membrane bridges on a side of a first insulating layer away from the first dielectric substrate, and a first insulating layer covering the branch structures, each membrane bridge spans one corresponding first gap, and a bridge floor of each membrane bridge and the first insulating layer have a first distance therebetween.