Novel Miniaturized RF MEMS Staircase Switch Matrix

A novel implementation of wideband large switch matrices is proposed in this letter. The solution is based on staircase geometry. The approach demonstrates significant reduction in the number of control signal required compared to all existing RF MEMS switch matrix geometries, while maintaining the performance. This letter presents the design and characteristics of a semi-T switch cell and a 3 × 3 staircase switch matrix. The measurement of the switch matrix demonstrated excellent RF performance of maximum insertion loss of 2 dB, a return loss of better than 15 dB and an isolation higher than 40 dB for frequencies up to 40 GHz. To our knowledge, this is the first RF MEMS staircase switch matrix ever reported.