Step-controllable RF MEMS tunable capacitor with ultra-wide tuning range using netted metal membrane
In this Letter, step-controllable radio frequency (RF) micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) tunable capacitor with ultra-wide tuning range using netted membrane structure has newly proposed, fabricated, and characterised for highly miniaturised and reconfigurable RF devices and systems applications. The proposed tunable capacitor could step-wise increase the capacitance by introducing a few slits on the movable top membrane with a netted structure. The fabricated tunable capacitor exhibited 2.38–20.04 pF of tuning range and 146 (off-state) and 28 (full contacted-state) of quality factors at 1 GHz, respectively.