High Performance Diamond MEMS based RF Devices

"Over the last several years, Argonne National Laboratory has developed ultra-smooth diamond thin films that can be used in many applications. In this phase I project, we propose to develop the processes to fabricate high performance, harsh environment, lownoise, RF-MEMS switches, based on this ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) technology. In phase I, we will demonstrate the core technology by fabricating small prototypes of UNCD based RF-MEMS switches and evaluating their electrical and switchingcharacteristics and as well as mechanical properties. In phase II, we will focus on integration and evaluation of many RF-MEMS switches to develop a new class of high performance, mechanically robust RF-MEMS switch which can be used for space and defenseapplications. Applications of the proposed technology include novel RF MEMS devices, optical switches for telecommunication, biomedical sensors, field emission devices, hard coatings and vacuum microelectronic devices."