Performance Analysis of Frequency Reconfigurable Antenna Using RF MEMS

Abstract

In the present age, the development of reconfigurable multiband antennas (RMA) have great prospective for wireless communication systems and circuits to accomplish the requirement with a single compact element operating better on multiple frequencies and/or generating same/different radiation patterns. Working this way, in future a single RMA shall be able to avoid the need of multiple antennas as used in earlier and also, the present communication devices. Due to the advantage of thin profile, adaption in any shape, low constructional cost, and mass and readily available for bulk integrated circuit (IC) fabrication, microstrip antenna (MA) is suitable contenders for RMA. There are numerous switching elements options are available in market such as PIN diode, FET, varicap/varactor diode, CMOS and MEMS, which can be used to reconfigure the antenna. The prime objective towards the right choice of switching element for the antenna is that it not only has excellent electromagnetic performance but at the same time has also the advantages of micro-size as well as consumption of less power is desired. From all the available options of RF switches, micro-meter MEMS RF switch is the best in this class. Multi-functional RF MEMS is one of the key MEMS application areas that generates communication devices that have the unlimited potential to increase the performance of RF systems and circuits in addition to permitting the understanding of small size automated switches embedded in microelectronic devices. In addition, RF MEMS has the feature of fabrication through standard IC microelectronics technology which allows it s compatibility with other RF and digital signal processing (DSP) devices.