Febo, Rey A.

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    Design, fabrication and characterization of a rf mems based reconfigurable antenna
    (2009) Febo, Rey A.; Sepulveda-Alancastro, Nelson; College of Engineering; Colom-Ustariz, José; Rodríguez Solís, Rafael A.; Colón-Díaz, Nivia; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Acuña, Edgar
    In order to satisfy an increasing need to operate in network systems with different standards and operating frequencies, new ideas for next generation communication systems are needed. The sudden increase of this need has forced the creation of tunable and reconfigurable devices all around the electronics and electromagnetic fields. RF MEMS arrived to the design table since they have proven to be more functional, lighter, and more reliable than their solid state counterparts for low and medium power handling applications. It’s a way to provide the scientific community with a more efficient way of using the available bandwidth and to achieve a higher data transmission rate for an increasing amount of users. MEMS deal with the integration of mechanical elements, actuators, electronics and sensors on a common substrate through a process of microfabrication. They are fabricated using compatible micromachining processes, selectively etching away or adding new structural layers to develop an electromechanical sytems. The implementation of these devices has improved some applications in the antennas field and has created innovative ways of changing the current RF systems. In this thesis, the design, fabrication process, and characterization of an RF MEMS-based reconfigurable antenna is presented. The fabrication process took place in the packaging laboratory at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The antenna design was simulated in CST Microwave Studio. The biasing lines will be designed to have the least effect on the antenna performance. A probe feeding technique will be employed. The integration of the RF MEMS switches was done via wire bonding. The main goal is to achieve antenna frequency tuning capability by changing the geometry of the antenna using RF MEMS switches. The radiation pattern of the antenna will also be observed for characterization purposes.