Modeling of a RF MEMS switch using CoventorWare

The aim of this thesis was to develop a 3-D model of an RF MEMS switch and analyze its performance using a commercially-available Finite Element Methods (FEM) software package. The original design for our RF MEMS Switch was proposed by Prof. Qingzhou Xu from Morehead State University. It consists of a movable top membrane made out of metal anchored to a fixed metal ground plate. The dimensions of the movable plate are 100 microns wide by 300 microns long by 1.5 microns thick. The angled plates are separated by a 0.2 micron gap on their fixed end and 21 microns on their open end. A 3-D model of the device was generated using Solid Edge and imported into COVENTORWARE for FEM analysis. Parameters which were analyzed included actuation voltage and switching speed. Both steady-state and transient analyses were performed on the RF MEMS switch, predicting a minimum actuation voltage of 55 volts to close the switch and a switching speed of 70.56 mus when 65 volts were used to actuate the switch. To verify our modeling strategy, we used the same methodology to model a similar RF MEMS switch by Christian Siegel and compared their experimental results to our simulations. Our predictions for actuation voltage and switching speed were within 4% of their measured data, thus validating our methodology.