• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.183-188
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• 2016

This paper presents the design and characterization of wide band ohmic microswitch with an actuation voltage as low as 20~25 V, and a restoring force of 14.1 μN. The design of the proposed switch is primarily composed of an electrostatic actuator, bridge membrane, cantilever (beam) and coplanar waveguide, suspended over the substrate. The analysis shows an insertion loss of −0.002 dB at 1GHz and remains as low as −0.35 dB, even at 100 GHz. The isolation loss of the switch is sustained at −21.09 dB at 100GHz, with a peak value of −99.58 dB at 1 GHz and up-state capacitance of 4 fF. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a series contact switch, which works over a wide bandwidth (DC-100 GHz) and with such a high and sustained isolation, even at high frequencies and with an excellent figure of merit (f_c=1/2.pi.Ron.Cu= 39.7 THz).

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.198-206
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• 2011

This paper presents a new programmable compensation circuit (PCC) for a System-on-Chip (SoC). The PCC is integrated with $0.18-{\mu}m$ BiCMOS SiGe technology. It consists of RF Design-for-Testability (DFT) circuit, Resistor Array Bank (RAB) and digital signal processor (DSP). To verify performance of the PCC we built a 5-GHz low noise amplifier (LNA) with an on-chip RAB using the same technology. Proposed circuit helps it to provide DC output voltages, hence, making the RF system chain automatic. It automatically adjusts performance of an LNA with the processor in the SoC when it goes out of the normal range of operation. The PCC also compensates abnormal operation due to the unusual PVT (Process, Voltage and Thermal) variations in RF circuits.

• The Proceeding of the Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.15-19
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• 2003

In This paper, we developed 1.96 GHz air gap type FBAR BPF using ZnO as piezoelectric sputtered by RF magnetron at room temperature. FBAR BPF was fabricated by sputtering bottom electrode (Al), ZnO as piezoelectric and top electrode (Mo) on Si wafer one by one with RF magnetron sputter, then Si was dry etched to make an air hole. XRD test result of fabricated FBAR BPF showed that ZnO crystal was well pre-oriented as (002) and sigma value of XRC was 1.018. IL(Insertion loss) showed excellent result as 1 dB.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.1292-1299
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• 2003

In this paper, we fabricated new GaAs-based dielectric-supported air gapped microstriplines(DAMLs) using the surface MEMS and the LPF for Ka-band using the fabricated DAMLs. We elevated the signal lines from the substrate, in order to reduce the substrate dielectric loss and obtain low losses at millimeter-wave frequency band with wide impedance range. We fabricated LPF with DAMLs for Ka-band. Due to reducing the dielectric loss of DAMLs, the insertion loss of LPF can be reduced. Miniature is essential to integrate LPF with active devices, so that we fabricated LPF with the slot on the ground to reduce the size of the LPF. We compared a characteristic to LPF with the slot and LPF without the slot.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2010.03a
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• pp.7-7
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• 2010

Energy harvesting from the environment has been of great interest as a standalone power source of wireless sensor nodes for Ubiquitous Sensor Networks(USN). In particular, the piezoelectric energy harvesting from ambient vibration sources has intensively researched because it has a relatively high power density comparing with other energy scavenging methods. Through recent advances in low power consumption RF transmitters and sensors, it is possible to adopt a micro-power energy harvesting system realized by MEMS technology for the system-on-chip. However, the MEMS energy harvesting system has some drawbacks such as a high natural frequency over 300 Hz and a small power generation due to a small dimension. To overcome these limitations, we devised a novel power generator with a spiral spring structure as shown in the figure. The natural frequency of a cantilever could be decreased to the usable frequency region (under 300 Hz) because the natural frequency depends on the length of a cantilever. In this study, the natural frequency of the energy harvester was a lower than a normal cantilever structure and sufficiently controllable in 50 - 200 Hz frequency region as adjusting weight of a proof mass. Moreover, the MEMS energy harvester had a high energy conversion efficiency using a shear mode ($d_{15}$) is much larger than a 33 mode ($d_{33}$) and the energy conversion efficiency is proportional to the piezoelectric constant (d). We expect the spiral type MEMS power generator would be a good candidate for a standalone power generator for USN.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.1049-1055
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• 2007

Lots of integration work has been done in order to miniaturize the devices for communication. To do this work, one of key work is to get miniaturized inductor with high Q factor for RF circuitry. However, it is not easy to get high Q inductor with silicon based substrate in the range of GHz. Although silicon is well known for its good electrical and mechanical characteristics, silicon has many losses due to small resistivity and high permittivity in the range of high frequency. MEMS technology is a key technology to fabricate miniaturized devices and LTCC is one of good substrate materials in the range of high frequency due to its characteristics of high resistivity and low permittivity. Therefore, we proposed and studied to fabricate and analyze the inductor on the LTCC substrate with MEMS fabrication technology as the one of solutions to overcome this problem. We succeeded in fabricating and characterizing the high Q inductor on the LTCC substrate and then compared and analyzed the results of this inductor with that on a silicon and a glass substrate. The inductor on the LTCC substrate has larger Q factor value and inductance value than that on a silicon and a glass substrate. The values of Q factor with the LTCC substrate are 12 at 3 GHz, 33 at 6 GHz, 51 at 7 GHz and the values of inductance is 1.8, 1.5, 0.6 nH in the range of 5 GHz on the silicon, glass, and LTCC substrate, respectively.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.381-391
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• 2010

In this paper, a novel frequency reconfigurable active array antenna(RAA) system, which can be reconfigurable for three reconfigurable frequency bands, is proposed by using commercial RF MEMS switches. The MEMS switch shows excellent insertion loss, linearity, as well as isolation. So, the system performance degradation of the reconfigurable system by using MEMS switches can be minimized. The proposed frequency reconfigurable active antenna system is consisted with the noble frequency reconfigurable front-end amplifiers(RFA) with the simple reconfigurable impedance matching circuits(RMC), reconfigurable antenna elements(RAE), as well as a reconfiguration control board(RCB) for MEMS switch control. The proposed RAA system can be reconfigurable for three frequency bands, 850 MHz, 1.9 GHz, and 3.4 GHz, with $2{\times}2$ array of the RAE having broadband printed dipole antenna topology. The validity of the proposed RFA as well as RAA is also presented with the experimental results of the fabricated systems.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2003.07a
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• pp.160-163
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• 2003

This paper describes on anodic bonding characteristics of MLCA(Multi Layer Ceramic Actuator) to Si-wafer using evaporated Pyrex #7740 glass thin-films for MEMS applications. Pyrex #7740 glass thin-films with same properties were deposited on MLCA under optimum RF magneto conditions(Ar 100 %, input power $1\;/cm^2$). After annealing in $450^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr, the anodic bonding of MLCA to Si-wafer was successfully performed at 600 V, $400^{\circ}C$ in - 760 mmHg. Then, the MLCA/Si bonded interface and fabricated Si diaphragm deflection characteristics were analyzed through the actuation test. It is possible to control with accurate deflection of Si diaphragm according to its geometries and its maximum non-linearity is 0.05-008 %FS. Moreover, any damages or separation of MICA/Si bonded interfaces do not occur during actuation test. Therefore, it is expected that anodic bonding technology of MICA/Si wafers could be usefully applied for the fabrication process of high-performance piezoelectric MEMS devices.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.929-932
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• 2005

We report a pull-up type RF MEMS switch using double electrode without elastic deformation of the cantilever involved in the actuation. At a voltage of 4.5 V, reliable actuations are achieved such that the movable lower contact pad is pulled up by the electrostatic force to make contact with the upper pad. At a frequency of 50 GHz, an insertion loss of 0.7 dB and an isolation of 50.7 dB are obtained from the switch. The measured transient times for switch-on and switch-off are 120 and 80 us, respectively.

• The Proceeding of the Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.16 no.4 s.56
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• pp.76-83
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• 2005

다양한 무선서비스를 기반으로 한 광대역 통합망(BcN: Broadband convergence Network) 네트워크 사회로의 진화와 더불어 승가하고 있는 Cognitive Ra-dio 기술에 요구는 모바일 컨버전스(융합) 단말기 (Mobile Convergence Terminal) 개발을 필수적으로 요구하고 있고, 이를 위한 핵심 기술은 Tunable RE 회로 설계 기술이다. 이를 위해서는 고성능, 저가격의 Tunable 소자들의 개발이 급선무이다. 반도체 Varactor와 MEMS 스위치를 이용하는 기술이 보편화내지는 준성숙 단계로 접어들고 있는 상황이지만 강유전체(Ferroelectric)에는 기존 반도체 Varactor와 MEMS 스위치로 얻을 수 없는 특성들을 얻을 수 있다고 알려지면서 이에 대한 관심과 연구가 증대되고 있다. 본 논문에서는 강유전체의 개요와 특성, 연구 경향, Tunable 소자 및 회로, 더 나아가 시스템 응용에 대하여 살펴보고, 앞으로 해결해야 할 문제점들에 대하여 언급하고자 한다.