Multi-Functional RF-MEMS Beamformers for Future Antenna Arrays

To meet the demanding coverage and data rate requirements of current and future telecommunication standards, access points are increasingly relying on access points based on millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequencies and antenna arrays. Their predicted dense deployments and higher power demands keep drawing interest toward passive beamforming (BF) solutions. Radio Frequency Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (RF-MEMS) appear as promising candidates due to their broadband capabilities, compact size, low-power features, and high-performance. This article presents a compact RF-MEMS module (3.36 × 9.51 mm2) integrating three phase-shifting cells, an attenuator, and a switch. The preliminary simulations show its amplitude control in the -(5.39-13.5) dB range, phase shifts up to 158.46°, and isolation better than −13 dB up to 27.5 GHz, while its electrostatic actuation ensures low-power operation to its membranes, having a 7 V actuation voltage.