Defense Tech Briefs - Antenna Electronically Steered Using MEMS Phase Shifters

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Antenna Electronically Steered Using MEMS Phase Shifters

Army Research Laboratory

Apr 01 2008

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In tests, the MEMS switches alone exhibited insertion loss <0.3 dB and isolation greater than 20 dB from DC to 40 GHz. The MEMS phase shifters were enclosed in packages that include external connectors for DC switching control signals and for the radio-frequency (RF) signals to be phase-shifted. The 17-dB MEMS phase shifters were tested and found to function with average insertion loss ≈2.5 dB and return loss >20 dB. The average insertion loss of the 35-dB phase shifters was found to be ≈3.3 dB.

Figure 2. These Views of the Antenna Array are representative of stages of assembly and of testing in an anechoic chamber.

Eight packaged two-bit, 17-GHz MEMS phase shifters, tested and selected to be functional and nearly identical in operational characteristics, were mounted on a dielectric board that holds the array of antenna patches and the associated feed array of microstrip transmission lines (see Figure 2). The phase shifters were connected to a switch panel to provide DC switching signals to the MEMS switches. In a test in which the array was operated in a receiving mode, the array functioned well, exhibiting steering of the radiation beam to five available positions: 0°, +25°, -25°, +55°, and -55°.

This work was done by Ronald G. Polcawich, Daniel Judy, Jeffrey S. Pulskamp, and Steve Weiss of the Army Research Laboratory.
ARL-0033

This Brief includes a Technical Support Package (TSP).

Antenna Electronically Steered Using MEMS Phase Shifters (reference ARL-0033) is currently available for download from the TSP library.

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