MEMS-Based Frequency Switchable Microstrip Patch Antenna Fabricated Using Printed Circuit Processing Techniques

This letter reports a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based electrostatically actuated frequency switchable microstrip patch antenna fabricated on Kapton polyimide film using printed circuit processing techniques. A 6 $times$ 6-mm microstrip patch antenna with resonant frequency switchable from 18.34 GHz at 0-V bias to 17.95 GHz at 268-V bias is discussed. The return loss is 40.6 dB and 20.1 dB at 18.34 and 17.95 GHz, respectively. The bandwidth of the antenna is about 0.9 GHz for return loss better than 10 dB in both states.