Design of A Metal-Contact RF MEMS Switch using Electrostatic Actuation to generate High Contact Forces

RF MEMS switches typically use electrostatic actuation for simplicity, boasting high switching speed and low power consumption. Nevertheless, they face challenges like long-term reliability, limited power handling, high actuation voltage, and lifetime capacity issues, constraining their performance and applications. Hence we proposed an optimized metal-contact electrostatic RF MEMS switch design to enhance reliability and power handling. This design employs an Au-Ru metal contact and a 10 μm-thick cantilever, achieving a contact force of 1.64 mN at 55V actuation voltage, with a pull-in voltage of 37.58V. It also exhibits a restoring force of 0.5 mN and a rapid switching speed of 90.9 kHz, addressing previous limitations in long-term reliability and power capacity.