Bradley Paul Barber

Integrated RF MEMS for Single Chip Radio

The persistent drawbacks encountered in RF systems essentially reside in the bulk passive components. Integration solutions to obtain single-chip radio are therefore greatly investigated to improve compactness, performances and also cost. Three different and main integrated passive components are presented in this paper. An acoustic-wave micro-machined resonator based filter is developed, which has potential for integration with RF front-end circuits unlike surface acoustic-wave (SAW) or ceramic filters. Self-assembled RF inductors follow, which offer an attractive alternative to traditional ones with limited quality factor and resonant frequency. And finally, a micro-electro-mechanical (MEM) switch with high isolation level and low insertion loss is described.

Method and apparatus for imaging acoustic fields in high-frequency acoustic resonators

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for imaging acoustic fields in high-frequency acoustic resonators. More particularly, the invention is directed to a scanning RF mode microscope system that detects and monitors vibration of high frequency resonators that vibrate in the frequency range of approximately 1 MHz to 20 GHz. The system then maps with sub-Angstrom resolution vibration modes of such devices and obtains quantitative measurements of the piezoelectric properties of the materials.

High-Q MEMS for wireless integrated circuits

While integration technology has steadily improved size and performance for wireless baseband circuitry, quality factor and frequency limitations still limit RF front-end circuitry to many large discrete components. Integration solutions for two such RF components are described. Silicon MEMS techniques are used to create self-assembled inductors with reduced losses and improved high frequency characteristics compared with conventional integrated inductors. The same technology is used to demonstrate variable inductors. Filter technology based on micromachined acoustic wave resonators is also presented, offering reduced size over conventional resonators as well as an integration path.

Enabling MEMS technologies for communications systems

Modern communications demands have been steadily growing not only in size, but sophistication. Phone calls over copper wires have evolved into high definition video conferencing over optical fibers, and wireless internet browsing. The technology used to meet these demands is under constant pressure to provide increased capacity, speed, and efficiency, all with reduced size and cost. Various MEMS technologies have shown great promise for meeting these challenges by extending the performance of conventional circuitry and introducing radical new systems approaches. A variety of strategic MEMS structures including various cost-effective free-space optics and high-Q RF components are described, along with related practical implementation issues. These components are rapidly becoming essential for enabling the development of progressive new communications systems technologies including all-optical networks, and low cost multi-system wireless terminals and basestations.