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Development of a metal-based MEMS technology for realising tunable/switchable RF modules for wireless applications

Ziel

Innovation in wireless communication systems has triggered research into the application of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) in RF circuits (RF-MEMS). Use of MEMS components, which makes the RF modules tunable, has two major advantages:
1) integration with other (passive) RF components in one process becomes possible; this will lead to further miniaturisation.
2) MEMS components outperform their discrete solid-state counterparts in several key parameters. The aim of the MEMS2TUNE project is to bring the RF-MEMS from laboratory-scale experiments to production-worthy prototypes. To make this happen, several issues like reliability, reproducibility and integration have to be addressed in the project. Furthermore, because of the presence of movable parts in the MEMS components and a need for hermeticity, new (wafer-scale) packaging concepts have to be developed. The necessary adaptations of the design and manufacturing process are also involved in this project.

Objectives:
To develop a metal-based MEMS technology platform for tunable RF modules for wireless communication applications up to 6 GHz.

Sub-objectives:
Tunable/switchable RF modules consisting of reliable RF components, among which: variable MEMS capacitors, high-Q inductors, fixed capacitors, MEMS switches and transmission lines integrated on one substrate. The constituent RF-MEMS components as well as two prototype modules will be developed. Wafer-level packaging for the constituent MEMS components will be developed. The modules should allow hybrid integration of active components and be compliant with present packaging and assembly technologies. Reliability of the constituent MEMS components will be tested and improved, to fit the requirements of commercial applications. The module (and constituent components) should be fabricated in a production worthy and reliable manufacturing process.

Work description:
The MEMS2TUNE project consists of three main phases separated by milestones. During the first phase the concept and specifications of the constituent RF-MEMS components prototype modules are defined, including the process flow and packaging. In the second phase, the first constituent RF-MEMS components and simple modules will be designed, fabricated and characterised (including reliability) in two learning cycles. Meanwhile, 0-level (wafer-scale) packages for the MEMS components will be developed and will be included in the fabrication during the second cycle. In the third and final phase, the prototype modules will be designed, fabricated, tested and benchmarked. To achieve the major technological objective of the project, the technology and design platform will be created in several steps. First, the requirements and boundary conditions of the platform will be defined in terms of the specification of the prototype modules, the process flow and packaging. After that the building blocks (RF-MEMS components) of the tunable RF modules will be designed, fabricated, characterised and tested on reliability in two learning cycles. The fabrication will take place partly in an R&D fab, partly in a production fab, to help to establish the production-worthiness of the technology. During the second cycle, the components will also be (wafer-scale) packaged. After the approval of the constituent components and package, the (packaged) prototype modules will be designed, fabricated, characterised and extensively tested on reliability. The functional prototypes are manufactured using the design and technology platform developed during the project and demonstrates the ability of the platform.

Milestones:
Five milestones are defined.
I) The acceptance of the concept and specifications of the two prototypes and demonstrator modules, the technology process flow and the packaging.
II) The acceptance of the naked constituent RF-MEMS components fabricated in the 1st cycle.
III) Final acceptance of constituent components + test modules. The components will be accepted based on their key electrical, mechanical and reliability characteristics.
IV) The acceptance of two prototype modules.
V) Project end.

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PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NEDERLAND B.V.
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