3D Micromachined Ka (30 GHz) Band RF MEMS Filter for On-Board Satellite Communication Systems

This paper describes the development of Ka band microwave filters on silicon substrates based on micromachining techniques and multiple wafer stacking. On this concept a 4th order pseudo elliptic Ka band filter based on TEM mode resonators was designed from which test structures have been derived to allow at the same time the technology development on simpler structures and to test the key element of the filter, i.e. the resonator. Measured results show a quality factor of the single resonator of 500 and frequency shifts as good as 0,1%. Compact size filters with excellent RF performance seem to be within the reach of this technology.