Variable MEMS-based inductors fabricated from PECVD silicon nitride

This paper presents the implementation of inductors for on-chip integration with RF electronics. The inductors were fabricated using silicon bulk micromachining to form a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) that is free from eddy-current losses found in spiral inductors formed using conventional silicon processing. By using the fabrication approach developed here, the resulting inductors are electrically tunable with the application of low DC bias voltages.