Optimization and characterization of RF MEMS inductors fabricated in PolyMUMPS technology

Nowadays, the RF MEMS inductors as passive elements perform an important role for communications systems, which are increasing their participation in the last decades. The constant trend to the miniaturization, as well as to the increasing need of optimization of these devices for improving the performance of wireless circuits, have conducted to the study of different techniques that intend to decrease the substrate losses in order to raise their quality factor, Q. One of these techniques is to suspend the inductor by etching the substrate under the conductor, which to date has been reported in some recent studies with distances of 3µm [1], 20 µm [2] and 150 µm [3] achieving Q of 20 at 3 GHz, 22 at 270 GHz and 21 at 4 GHz with structures of 3 and 4 square spirals respectively. Subsequently, the goal is to determine the main inductor characteristics to understand the features that could improve its properties using the suspension technique and propose a method for characterization of these devices.