Fast simulation of an RF-MEMS toggle-switch through a behavioural models software library of elementary components
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TECHNICAL PAPER
Fast simulation of an RF-MEMS toggle-switch through a behavioural models software library of elementary components J. Iannacci1 Received: 12 March 2020 / Accepted: 28 March 2020 Ó Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Simulation of MEMS-based, microelectromechanical-systems, radio frequency (RF) passive components, i.e. RF-MEMS, is not an easy task, as it involves the coupling of different physical domains (mechanical, electrical, electromagnetic). This work discusses the exploitation of a software library of elementary MEMS behavioural models, in order to predict the multi-physical behaviour of a complex RF-MEMS switch geometry, i.e. a toggle-switch. The elementary models developed and available in the software library are implemented in an HDL (hardware description language) programming code and can therefore be exploited within standard development environments for integrated circuits.
1 Introduction Radio frequency (RF) passive components realised in MEMS, MicroElectroMechanical-Systems, technology, widely known as RF-MEMS, are becoming more and more attractive to market segments linked to modern telecommunication systems, with 5G first in line (Iannacci 2015, 2018a; Ma et al. 2019). In fact, RF-MEMS enable the achievement of remarkable characteristics, in terms of high isolation, low loss, wide reconfigurability or tunability, broadband operability and frequency agility (Liu 2010; Lucyszyn 2010; Iannacci 2018b). Moreover, their typical design flexibility makes possible realising complex networks, like multi-state phase shifters, step attenuators and high order switching matrices, in just few square millimetres of silicon (Enz and Kaiser 2013; Iannacci 2013b). From a different point of view, simulation and modelling of RF-MEMS are not easy tasks, as their behaviour places across different physical domains, i.e. mechanical, electrical and electromagnetic. The availability of a simulation tool for MEMS devices allowing to obtain good accuracy and fast computation times is especially desirable when increasingly complex structures are to be modelled. To this regard, a multi-domain simulation environment was
obtained by means of a MEMS model library implemented in an HDL-based (hardware description language) available in most part of commercial software development tools for integrated circuits (ICs). The elementary MEMS components available in the software library are based on the concept of nodal modelling (Del Tin et al. 2007; Bazigos et al. 2014; Iannacci 2013a). This paper focuses on some improvements of the mentioned models. In particular, Sect. 2.1 discusses the electrostatic model for a rigid suspended transducer plate with 6 geometrical Degrees of Freedom (DoFs) accounting for the presence of holes on its surface. Section 2.2 reports the squeeze-film damping model for the rigid plate (6 DoFs), with holes on the plate surface, as well. Section 2.3 focuses on the flexible beam model (6 DoFs), that has been improved
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