A high power (>5 W) temperature stable RF MEMS metal-contact switch with orthogonal anchors and force-enhancing stoppers

This paper presents a temperature stable metal-contact RF MEMS switch capable of handling >;5 W of RF power. The device achieves 0.7 - 1.5 mN of contact force for actuation voltages of 80 - 90 V, with a restoring force of 0.63 mN. Furthermore, the device is insensitive to stress effects and temperature. Temperature measurements showed excellent thermal stability - no deflection in the beam, and a change in pull-in voltage of only 4 V from 25 - 125 °C. The switch was tested under prolonged (>;24 hrs) high-power RF conditions with excellent reliability.