RF-MEMS networks in future telecommunications: a reconfigurable module with amplitude, phase and switching control for B5G/6G applications

The challenging scenario imposed by 5G and future telecommunication standards in terms of coverage and data rates is effectively addressed at system level by access points utilizing millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequency bands and antenna arrays. The inevitable densification of the access points and the presence of multiple power-hungry components in their radio frequency (RF) front ends hold the attention towards passive solutions aimed at their beamforming (BF) architectures. Among the different passive alternatives, Radio Frequency Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (RF-MEMS) technology constitutes a valid candidate in terms of broadband behaviour, high-performance, low power consumption and miniaturization of its implementations. The potential of such technology in the field of reconfigurable BF networks is outlined in this article by the proposed module, which combines three phase-shifting cells, an attenuator and a switch into a single monolithic layout with an area of 3.36 × 9.51 mm2. The simulated performance of the device highlighted an amplitude control spanning from − 5.39 dB to − 13.51 dB, achievable phase shifts from 14.03° to 158.46°, still providing an isolation better than − 13 dB up to 27.5 GHz, that is the upper bound of the addressed N258 5G band (24.25–27.5 GHz). A low power consumption is guaranteed by the electrostatic actuation of its membranes, whose actuation voltage corresponds to 7 V.