Broadband MEMS-PolyStrata Phase Shifters for High Power Operation

This project proposes the co-integration of the lowest loss MEMS switches (MEMtronics capacitive MEMS switches) and the lowest loss interconnect technology, that of Nuvotronics PolyStrata technology. Together, these two emerging technologies offer the best solution for building broadband, high-power, phase shifter networks which meet the upcoming requirements for US military ballistic missile defense systems. The goal of this program is to combine RF MEMS switches having improved reliability, with low-loss interconnects and reactive components, to create broadband, high-power phase shifter networks which operate over the 8-12 GHz frequency range. These networks will support a 4-channel phase shifter network composed of a single RF input divided into four independent phase-shifted output channels. This network will support output power levels of greater than 5W peak/channel and greater than 2W average/channel. In addition, this network will possess switching delays of less than 5 microseconds, phase resolution of at least four bits, and less than 2 dB insertion loss between the network input and the output of each phase shifter channel.