CN110853924A - RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit - Google Patents

RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit Download PDF

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Publication number
CN110853924A
CN110853924A CN201911298696.XA CN201911298696A CN110853924A CN 110853924 A CN110853924 A CN 110853924A CN 201911298696 A CN201911298696 A CN 201911298696A CN 110853924 A CN110853924 A CN 110853924A
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China
Prior art keywords
electrode
plate
variable capacitance
distributed
distance
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CN201911298696.XA
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Chinese (zh)
Inventor
王竞轩
刘泽文
肖倩
陈涛
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SIMEMS MICRO/NANO SYSTEM Co Ltd
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SIMEMS MICRO/NANO SYSTEM Co Ltd
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    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01GCAPACITORS; CAPACITORS, RECTIFIERS, DETECTORS, SWITCHING DEVICES, LIGHT-SENSITIVE OR TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE DEVICES OF THE ELECTROLYTIC TYPE
    • H01G7/00Capacitors in which the capacitance is varied by non-mechanical means; Processes of their manufacture
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01GCAPACITORS; CAPACITORS, RECTIFIERS, DETECTORS, SWITCHING DEVICES, LIGHT-SENSITIVE OR TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE DEVICES OF THE ELECTROLYTIC TYPE
    • H01G5/00Capacitors in which the capacitance is varied by mechanical means, e.g. by turning a shaft; Processes of their manufacture
    • H01G5/38Multiple capacitors, e.g. ganged

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Micromachines (AREA)

Abstract

The invention relates to an RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit, which comprises a substrate, wherein an RF electrode, a ground structure and a driving electrode are distributed on the substrate, the ground structure and the driving electrode are distributed on two sides of the RF electrode, the ground structure is connected with a rocker type upper polar plate, the rocker type upper polar plate is connected with a torsion beam, and the driving electrode is distributed on two sides of the torsion beam; a dielectric layer for isolating the upper warped plate electrode from the RF electrode is attached to the RF electrode; during actuation, the paddle top plate may be spaced a first distance, a second distance, and a third distance from the RF electrode, respectively. Therefore, the capacitance value controllability is strong by adopting a seesaw type structure. The larger distance change between the warping plate type upper polar plate and the RF electrode can be realized, and the larger variable capacitance ratio can be obtained. If the capacitance state is switched between the first distance capacitance state and the third distance capacitance state, the response speed is higher due to the dual functions of the driving force and the self restoring force of the cantilever beam. The torsion beams at the two ends and the pivot of the seesaw type upper polar plate are fixed on the ground structure.

Description

RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a capacitive unit, and more particularly, to an RF MEMS digital variable capacitive unit.
Background
The greatest feature of the evolution from 1G to 5G is the increasing frequency and the increasing bandwidth. Nowadays, the miniaturization of equipment is pursued, and the traditional radio frequency front-end device is more and more difficult to satisfy the demand of broadband, therefore, the demand of radio frequency front-end to the adjustable frequency device is more and more strong, and variable capacitance is just the "governing valve" of the adjustable frequency device and plays a very important role. RF MEMS variable capacitors are receiving increasing attention due to their high Q value, high capacitance ratio, high linearity, high power capacity, low power consumption, and low temperature sensitivity. However, the RF MEMS variable capacitor studied in the industry at present has great breakthroughs in controllability and reliability.
In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, the present designer is actively making research and innovation to create a RF MEMS digital variable capacitor unit, which has industrial application value.
Disclosure of Invention
To solve the above technical problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit.
An RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit of the present invention includes a substrate, wherein: the RF electrode, the ground structure and the driving electrode are distributed on the substrate, the ground structure and the driving electrode are distributed on two sides of the RF electrode, the ground structure is connected with a warping plate type upper polar plate, the warping plate type upper polar plate is connected with a torsion beam, two ends of the warping plate type upper polar plate and the torsion beam are electrically connected to the ground structure, the driving electrode is distributed on two sides of the torsion beam, the warping plate type upper polar plate and the RF electrode can form a first distance, a second distance and a third distance respectively, and a dielectric layer used for isolating the warping plate type upper polar plate and the RF electrode is attached to the RF electrode.
Further, the RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit described above, wherein the substrate is a high-resistance silicon substrate; or a glass substrate; or a ceramic substrate; or a gallium arsenide substrate.
Furthermore, the number of the driving electrodes is at least four, the driving electrodes are symmetrically distributed in pairs, a pair of driving electrodes close to the RF electrodes is "C +" driving electrodes, and a pair of driving electrodes far away from the RF electrodes is "C-" driving electrodes.
Furthermore, in the RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit, the driving electrode includes a metal substrate, a dielectric layer is attached on the metal substrate, and the dielectric layer is a single layer or a plurality of mixed layers made of silicon nitride, hafnium oxide, silicon oxide, and aluminum oxide.
Furthermore, in the RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit, the upper electrode plate and the torsion beam are integrally configured, and the upper electrode plate forms a movable rocker structure with the torsion beam as a pivot. Furthermore, in the RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit, the torsion beam is distributed on two sides of the upper plate, or distributed inside the upper plate, or distributed on two sides and inside the upper plate.
Furthermore, in the RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit, the upper see-saw plate is developed in a cascade manner according to the application requirement.
Furthermore, in the RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit, the dielectric layer is a single layer or a mixture of multiple layers formed by silicon nitride, hafnium oxide, silicon oxide, and aluminum oxide.
Still further, in the above RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit, the upper electrode plate of the seesaw has uniform bar-shaped slits.
By the scheme, the invention at least has the following advantages:
1. the seesaw type structure is adopted, three capacitance states of a first distance, a second distance and a third distance or two capacitance states of the first distance and the third distance are provided, and the capacitance value controllability is strong.
2. The larger distance change between the warping plate type upper polar plate and the RF electrode can be realized, and the larger variable capacitance ratio can be obtained.
3. If the capacitance state is switched between the first distance capacitance state and the third distance capacitance state, the response speed is higher due to the dual functions of the driving force and the self restoring force of the cantilever beam.
4. The torsion beams at the two ends and the pivot of the seesaw type upper polar plate are fixed on the ground structure, so that the reliability of the whole device is better.
5. The seesaw type upper polar plate with the strip-shaped gap structure not only facilitates the release of the metal film bridge in the process, but also reduces the air resistance in the movement process, thereby shortening the capacitance regulation and control time.
6. The seesaw type structure has strong expansibility, and can be cascaded and expanded according to the required capacitance value.
The foregoing description is only an overview of the technical solutions of the present invention, and in order to make the technical solutions of the present invention more clearly understood and to implement them in accordance with the contents of the description, the following detailed description is given with reference to the preferred embodiments of the present invention and the accompanying drawings.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit.
Fig. 2 is an operational schematic diagram of the present RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit at a first distance.
Fig. 3 is an operational schematic diagram of the present RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit at a second distance.
Fig. 4 is an operation diagram of the RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit at a third distance.
Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of a cascade expansion of the RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit.
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a digital variable capacitor array formed by the RF MEMS digital variable capacitor unit.
The meanings of the reference symbols in the drawings are as follows.
1 substrate 2RF electrode
4-warped plate type upper polar plate with 3-ground structure
5 torsion beam 6 first distance
7 second distance 8 third distance
9 'C +' drive electrode 10 'C-' drive electrode
Detailed Description
The following detailed description of embodiments of the present invention is provided in connection with the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are intended to illustrate the invention but are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
An RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit as in fig. 1 to 6, comprising a substrate 1, distinguished by: on the substrate 1 there are distributed an RF electrode 2, a ground structure 3 and a drive electrode. Specifically, the ground structure 3 and the driving electrode are distributed on two sides of the RF electrode, and the rocker type upper electrode plate 4 is connected to the ground structure 3 and crosses the driving electrode with the torsion beam 5 as a pivot. Meanwhile, the see-saw upper plate 4 may form a first distance 6, a second distance 7, and a third distance 8 with the RF electrode 2. Furthermore, a dielectric layer (not shown) is attached to RF electrode 2 to isolate upper paddle 4 from RF electrode 2. Thus, varying the distance may vary the capacitance between the RF electrode 2 and the ground structure 3.
In view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, multiple sets of drive electrodes are used, of which one pair near the RF electrode 2 is the "C +" drive electrode 9 for controlling the increase in capacitance. The pair of drive electrodes remote from the RF electrode 2 is the "C-" drive electrode 10 for controlling the reduction in capacitance.
Further, the driving electrode comprises a metal substrate located at the bottom layer, and a dielectric layer is attached to the metal substrate, so that the driving electrode can be driven by the electrostatic force of the seesaw type upper polar plate 4.
In view of practical implementation, the rocker type upper polar plate 4 uses the torsion beam 5 as a fulcrum to realize a lever principle, so that the middle part of the upper polar plate can move upwards (figure 4) and downwards (figure 2), the distance change range of the upper polar plate and the RF electrode 2 is increased, and the variable capacitance ratio of the variable capacitor is increased. Meanwhile, the upper warped plate type polar plate 4 adopted by the invention is distributed with uniform strip-shaped gaps. Therefore, the rocker type upper pole plate 4 is conveniently released, and air resistance in the movement process is reduced, so that the capacitance regulation and control time is shortened.
In view of practical manufacturing, the substrate 1 used in the present invention is a high-resistance silicon substrate 1. Of course, the glass substrate 1 may be used according to the use requirement. Meanwhile, the substrate is also a ceramic substrate 1 or a gallium arsenide substrate 1 for some special case applications.
In a further aspect, the present invention can be cascaded (fig. 5) or arranged and combined (fig. 6) according to the requirement of the adjustable range of the capacitance, so as to achieve higher requirements.
The working principle of the invention is as follows:
the RF electrode, the ground structure, the seesaw type upper polar plate and the driving electrode can be made of metal materials with low resistivity, such as gold, aluminum, copper and alloys thereof; the dielectric layer can be made of high-dielectric-constant insulating materials such as silicon nitride, hafnium oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide and the like. When the two C-drive electrodes are simultaneously applied with positive voltage and the two C-drive electrodes are not applied with voltage, the inner side of the see-saw upper polar plate is pulled to the drive electrodes under the action of electrostatic force, the middle part of the see-saw upper polar plate is separated from the RF electrode by a first distance, and the variable capacitor is Cmax. Meanwhile, the outer side of the seesaw type upper polar plate is tilted due to the lever principle.
When the two C-drive electrodes are simultaneously applied with positive voltage and the two C +' drive electrodes are not applied with voltage, the outer side of the see-saw type upper polar plate is pulled to the drive electrodes under the action of electrostatic force, the middle part of the see-saw type upper polar plate tilts, the middle part of the see-saw type upper polar plate is separated from the RF electrode by a third distance, and the variable capacitor is Cmin
When no voltage is applied to the two C + driving electrodes and the two C-driving electrodes, the upper warped plate electrode is in an initial state without external force, the middle part of the upper warped plate electrode is separated from the RF electrode by a second distance, and the variable capacitor is Cmed
The invention has the following advantages by the aid of the character expression and the accompanying drawings:
1. the seesaw type structure is adopted, three capacitance states of a first distance, a second distance and a third distance or two capacitance states of the first distance and the third distance are provided, and the capacitance value controllability is strong.
2. The larger distance change between the warping plate type upper polar plate and the RF electrode can be realized, and the larger variable capacitance ratio can be obtained.
3. If the capacitance state is switched between the first distance capacitance state and the third distance capacitance state, the response speed is higher due to the dual functions of the driving force and the self restoring force of the cantilever beam.
4. The torsion beams at the two ends and the pivot of the seesaw type upper polar plate are fixed on the ground structure, so that the reliability of the whole device is better.
5. The seesaw type upper polar plate with the strip-shaped gap structure not only facilitates the release of the metal film bridge in the process, but also reduces the air resistance in the movement process, thereby shortening the capacitance regulation and control time.
6. The seesaw structure has strong expansibility, and can be combined in a cascade mode according to the required capacitance value.
Furthermore, the indication of the orientation or the positional relationship described in the present invention is based on the orientation or the positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, but does not indicate or imply that the indicated device or configuration must have a specific orientation or be operated in a specific orientation configuration, and thus, should not be construed as limiting the present invention.
In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly stated or limited, the terms "connected" and the like are to be construed broadly, e.g., as meaning fixedly attached, detachably attached, or integrally formed; can be mechanically or electrically connected; either directly or indirectly through intervening media, either internally or in any other relationship. The specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood by those skilled in the art according to specific situations.
The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention, it should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, many modifications and variations can be made without departing from the technical principle of the present invention, and these modifications and variations should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims (9)

1. An RF MEMS digital variable capacitance cell comprising a substrate, characterized in that: the RF electrode, the ground structure and the driving electrode are distributed on the substrate, the ground structure and the driving electrode are distributed on two sides of the RF electrode, the ground structure is connected with a warping plate type upper polar plate, the warping plate type upper polar plate is connected with a torsion beam, the driving electrode is distributed on two sides of the torsion beam, the warping plate type upper polar plate and the RF electrode can form a first distance, a second distance and a third distance respectively, and a dielectric layer used for isolating the warping plate type upper polar plate and the RF electrode is attached to the RF electrode.
2. The RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit of claim 1, wherein: the substrate is a high-resistance silicon substrate; or a glass substrate; or a ceramic substrate; or a gallium arsenide substrate.
3. The RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit of claim 1, wherein: the number of the driving electrodes is at least four, the driving electrodes are distributed pairwise and symmetrically, a pair of driving electrodes close to the RF electrode is 'C +' driving electrodes, and a pair of driving electrodes far away from the RF electrode is 'C-' driving electrodes.
4. The RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit of claim 1, wherein: the driving electrode comprises a metal substrate, a dielectric layer is attached to the metal substrate, and the dielectric layer is a single layer or multiple mixed layers formed by silicon nitride, hafnium oxide, silicon oxide and aluminum oxide.
5. The RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit of claim 1, wherein: polar plate and torsion beam structure as an organic whole on the wane, polar plate uses the torsion beam as the fulcrum on the wane, forms the movable structure of wane.
6. The RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit of claim 1, wherein: the torsion beam is distributed on two sides of the upper pole plate of the rocker plate, or distributed in the upper pole plate of the rocker plate, or distributed on two sides and inside of the upper pole plate of the rocker plate simultaneously.
7. The RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit of claim 1, wherein: the dielectric layer is a single layer formed by silicon nitride, hafnium oxide, silicon oxide and aluminum oxide or a plurality of mixed layers.
8. The RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit of claim 1, wherein: the upper pole plate of the seesaw is distributed with uniform strip-shaped gaps.
9. The RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit of claim 1, wherein: and the wane type upper polar plate is expanded in a cascading manner according to application requirements.
CN201911298696.XA 2019-12-17 2019-12-17 RF MEMS digital variable capacitance unit Pending CN110853924A (en)

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Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN101651065A (en) * 2009-06-02 2010-02-17 清华大学 Bistable state bridge-type micro-electromechanical switch structure with floating gate electrode
US20120206857A1 (en) * 2009-11-11 2012-08-16 Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Variable capacitance device
CN103413681A (en) * 2013-07-30 2013-11-27 清华大学 MEMS linear variable capacitor of symmetrical lever structure
CN103680959A (en) * 2013-11-25 2014-03-26 苏州希美微纳系统有限公司 MEMS (micro-electromechanical system) variable capacitor with linear C-V (capacitance-voltage) characteristic and low-stress double-lever structure
CN108025907A (en) * 2015-07-15 2018-05-11 迪维科·迈克尔 Tunable reactance device and manufacture and the method using the device
CN211208252U (en) * 2019-12-17 2020-08-07 苏州希美微纳系统有限公司 High-reliability RFMEMS digital variable capacitance unit

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN101651065A (en) * 2009-06-02 2010-02-17 清华大学 Bistable state bridge-type micro-electromechanical switch structure with floating gate electrode
US20120206857A1 (en) * 2009-11-11 2012-08-16 Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Variable capacitance device
CN103413681A (en) * 2013-07-30 2013-11-27 清华大学 MEMS linear variable capacitor of symmetrical lever structure
CN103680959A (en) * 2013-11-25 2014-03-26 苏州希美微纳系统有限公司 MEMS (micro-electromechanical system) variable capacitor with linear C-V (capacitance-voltage) characteristic and low-stress double-lever structure
CN108025907A (en) * 2015-07-15 2018-05-11 迪维科·迈克尔 Tunable reactance device and manufacture and the method using the device
CN211208252U (en) * 2019-12-17 2020-08-07 苏州希美微纳系统有限公司 High-reliability RFMEMS digital variable capacitance unit

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