Abstract:
A device comprises a conductive substrate, a micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) structure, and a plurality of bond pads. The conductive substrate has a first side and a second side, the second side opposite the first side. The MEMS structure is formed over the first side of the conductive substrate. The plurality of bond pads are formed over the first side of the conductive substrate and electrically coupled to the first side of the conductive substrate. The conductive substrate and plurality of bond pads function to provide electrostatic shielding to the MEMS structure.
Abstract:
A capacitive device including at least one actuator structure formed on a substrate is provided. The capacitive device further includes a moveable structure formed on the substrate and mechanically coupled to the at least one actuator structure. The moveable structure includes a moveable capacitive plate and a bridge, formed substantially planar to the moveable capacitive plate. The bridge is used to mechanically and electrically couple the moveable capacitive plate to a signal line formed on the substrate such that the moveable capacitive plate moves up or down based on a force generated by the at least one actuator structure.
Abstract:
A microelectronic assembly and a method for forming a microelectronic assembly are provided. First and second substrates (32, 68) are provided. Each substrate has first and second opposing sides. The first substrate (32) has a first microelectronic device formed on the first side (46) thereof, and the second substrate (68) has a second microelectronic device formed on the first side (82) thereof. The first and second substrates (32, 68) are interconnected with at least one support member (100) such that the at least one support member (100) is positioned between the second side (48) of the first substrate (32) and the first side (82) of the second substrate (68). At least one conductive member (98) is provided that electrically connects the first microelectronic device to the second microelectronic device.
Abstract:
A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) component 20 includes a portion 32 of a MEMS structure 30 formed on a semiconductor substrate 34 and a portion 36 of the structure 30 formed in a non-semiconductor substrate 22. The non-semiconductor substrate 22 is in fixed communication with the semiconductor substrate 34 with the portion 32 of the MEMS structure 30 being interposed between the substrates 34 and 22. A fabrication method 96 entails utilizing semiconductor thin-film processing techniques to form the portion 32 on the semiconductor substrate 34, and utilizing a lower cost processing technique to fabricate the portion 36 in the non-semiconductor substrate 22. The portions 32 and 36 are coupled to yield the MEMS structure 30, and the MEMS structure 30 can be attached to another substrate as needed for additional functionality.
Abstract:
MEMS piezoelectric switches 100 that provide advantages of compact structure ease of fabrication in a single unit, and that are free of high temperature-induced morphological changes of the contact materials and resultant adverse effects on properties. High temperature-induced morphological changes refer to changes that occur during fabrication when metallic contacts such as radio frequency lines 125, 130 and shorting bars 150 are exposed to temperatures required to anneal a piezoelectric layer or those temperatures encountered during high temperature deposition of the piezoelectric layer, if such process is used instead.
Abstract:
A capacitive device including at least one actuator structure formed on a substrate is provided. The capacitive device further includes a moveable structure formed on the substrate and mechanically coupled to the at least one actuator structure. The moveable structure includes a moveable capacitive plate and a bridge, formed substantially planar to the moveable capacitive plate. The bridge is used to mechanically and electrically couple the moveable capacitive plate to a signal line formed on the substrate such that the moveable capacitive plate moves up or down based on a force generated by the at least one actuator structure.
Abstract:
A MEMS device uses both piezoelectric actuation and electrostatic actuation and also provides enough electrostatic force to enable very low voltage operation. As the electrostatic actuation uses DC and the piezoelectric actuation uses high frequency, the structure of the device minimizes the coupling of the two actuator structures to reduce noise. In addition, for some embodiments, the location of the physical structures of the piezoelectric actuator and electrostatic actuator generates higher contact force with lower voltage. For some embodiments, the piezoelectric actuator and electrostatic actuator of the device are connected at the contact shorting bar or capacitor plate location. This makes the contact shorting bar or capacitor plate the focal point of the forces generated by all of the actuators, thereby increasing the switch contact force.
Abstract:
A balun circuit comprises a balun transformer having first and second windings, and first and second variable capacitors. The first variable capacitor has a first plate electrode coupled to the first terminal of the first winding, and a second plate electrode coupled to the second terminal of the first winding. The second variable capacitor has a first plate electrode coupled to the first terminal of the second winding, and a second plate electrode coupled to the second terminal of the second winding. The first variable capacitor is tunable between first and second capacitance values. The second variable capacitor is tunable between third and fourth capacitance values. Tuning the variable capacitors allows the balun circuit to be re-configurable to operate in both the first frequency band and the second frequency band.
Abstract:
A patterned ground shield (PGS) (130) in a vertically-integrated structure includes a patterned conductor (e.g., a metallic layer) provided between a first substrate (110) having a first semiconductor device (1120 formed therein and a second substrate (120) having a second device (122) formed therein. A bonding layer (140) is used to bond the vertically-integrated die and/or wafers. The PGS may be formed on a surface (e.g., the backside) of the second (topmost) substrate, or may be formed over the first semiconductor device—for example, on a dielectric layer formed over the first semiconductor device. The PGS may consist of parallel stripes in various patterns, or may be spiral-shaped, lattice-shaped, or the like.
Abstract:
A radio frequency (RF) circuit (100) as disclosed herein is fabricated on a substrate (204, 304) using integrated passive device (IPD) process technology. The RF circuit (100) includes an RF inductor (200, 300) and an integrated inductive RF coupler (202, 302) located proximate to the RF inductor (200, 300). The inductive RF coupler (202, 302), its output and grounding contact pads, and its transmission lines are fabricated on the same substrate (204, 304) using the same IPD process technology. The inductive RF coupler (202, 302) includes a coupling section (212, 306) that is either located inside or outside a spiral of the RF inductor (200, 300). The inductive RF coupler (202, 302) and the RF inductor (200, 300) are cooperatively configured to function as the windings of an RF transformer, thus achieving the desired coupling. The inductive RF coupler (202, 302) provides efficient and reproducible RF coupling without increasing the die footprint of the RF circuit (100).