SBIR-STTR Award

The proposed effort utilizes CMOS control electronics to "sense and control" the operation of MEMS switches as a solution to overcome the existing limitations of "set and forget" MEMS operation. These efforts build upon several successful prior demonstrations of MEMS-CMOS integration and CMOS control of MEMS switches by MEMtronics and Lehigh. The incorporation of high-speed electronics with MEMS switches enables the improvement of many aspects of MEMS operation - from mitigating dielectric charging to compensating operating voltages over temperature, to achieving very accurate MEMS capacitance values, to allowing analog functionality. However, the benefits of adaptive control go well beyond these "static" improvements that are possible with CMOS control. There are a host of interesting techniques that can be utilized to implement "dynamic" adaptive control of MEMS by CMOS. The speed and functionality of CMOS offers new and exciting possibilities for on-the-fly management of MEMS operation - soft landing control to prevent contact wear, electrostatic damping to prevent bounce, or compensation for high power RF signals that may distort switch electromechanics. Dynamic control of MEMS devices is new territory that enables adaptive control and augmentation of performance to overcome the remaining drawbacks to RF MEMS technology.

Keywords:
Microelectromechanical Systems, Mems, Cmos, Phase Shifter, Tunable Filter, Control Electronics, Microwave, Millimeter-Wave.

This project proposes to take advantage of the best available tuning technologies (MEMS-based tuning varactors) and modern control technology (CMOS electronics) to create reconfigurable filters at microwave frequencies that will have broad application in military systems. These low-loss, rapidly tunable bandpass filters are based on the integration of MEMS-based capacitive tuners and innovative CMOS closed-loop control circuits with state-of-the-art substrate integrated waveguide filter technology.

Benefits:
This reconfigurable filter technology will enable order-of-magnitude reductions in size and weight in communications systems that currently utilize switched filter banks to control frequency or bandwidth. This technology has broad applicability to a wide range of military systems, ranging from unmanned air vehicles to satellites, enabling adaptive frequency management in a compact, low-loss format.

Keywords:
Tunable filter, microelectromechanical systems, CMOS, adaptive frequency control, microwave