Reduced size radio frequency phase shifters for 5g systems

Abstract

Future 5G wireless communication systems require highly integrated Radio Frequency (RF) front ends which consist of miniaturized Radio Frequency Micro Electro Mechanical Systems/Nano Electro Mechanical System (RFMEMS/NEMS) components such as filters, switches, couplers, power amplifiers and phase shifters. They are used in RF systems due to its low loss, reduced size and low power consumption. The RF MEMS/NEMS phase shifters have greater significance in the design of phased array antenna for beam steering newlineoperation used in 5G wireless communication systems. To reduce the size of the conventional phase shifter, the Distributed MEMS Transmission Line (DMTL) phase shifter is designed using Elevated Coplanar Waveguide (ECPW) transmission line. This ECPW based DMTL phase shifter is used to achieve reduction in loss and reduced pull in voltage. To achieve further miniaturization the MEMS membranes are grouped together to newlineform a unit cell pattern. These unit cells are loaded over the transmission line to produce the desired phase shift with compactness. Another method of achieving miniaturization is to design DMTL phase shifter using space filling curves. The various space filling curves such as peano curve, Hilbert curve and Moore curve are proposed in the literature. The H-order space filling curve which provides better locality than others is used to reduce the lateral dimension. The technology is moving towards the nano scale world where the MEMS devices can be replaced by NEMS devices for future 5G wireless communication newlinesystems with lesser dimensions. The Distributed NEMS Transmission Line(DNTL) phase shifter is used to achieve further scaling down in the size of the newlinephase shifters. newline newline