Characterization of dielectric charging and reliability in capacitive RF MEMS switches

The characterization of RF MEMS capacitive switch is presented to understand dielectric charging, failure mode, and hold-down lifetime. The characterization included the understanding of beam stiction failure with respect to the voltage at minimum capacitance, VCmin, from low voltage bipolar capacitance-voltage sweep, and the acceleration effect of temperature described by Arrhenius model. The simplified 3 points VCmin method is suggested for dielectric charging detection with low cost and short test time for defective part screening and application in automated test equipment. The hold-down lifetime improved with taller standoff bumps by increasing release voltage and minimizing dielectric charging on the actuator electrode.