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Design and Characterization Methodology for Efficient Wide Range Tunable MEMS Filters
Published on: February 4, 2018
Systematic design approach for capacitively coupled microelectromechanical filters.
Ari T Alastalo1, Ville Kaajakari
1VTT Technical Research Center of Finland, Tietotie 3, Espoo, FIN-02150, Finland. ari.alastalo@vtt.fi
IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control
|September 13, 2006
Summary
Designing microelectromechanical (MEMS) band-pass filters requires balancing carrier-to-interference ratio (C/I) and insertion loss. An integrated receiver architecture offers a more feasible approach for handheld terminals than traditional 50-ohm impedance matching.
Area of Science:
- Electrical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Mechanical Engineering
Background:
- Microelectromechanical (MEMS) band-pass filters are crucial components in modern communication systems.
- Designing these filters involves trade-offs between critical performance metrics like carrier-to-interference ratio (C/I) and insertion loss.
- Existing design procedures often struggle to meet the stringent requirements of handheld communication terminals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To formulate a design procedure for MEMS band-pass filters that incorporates C/I and insertion loss specifications.
- To identify a feasible compromise between C/I and insertion loss for optimal filter performance.
- To evaluate the suitability of different receiver architectures for meeting typical handheld terminal specifications.
Main Methods:
- Development of a design procedure for MEMS band-pass filters.
- Analysis of the trade-offs between intermodulation distortion suppression (affecting C/I) and insertion loss.
- Investigation of integrated receiver architectures with non-50-ohm impedance matching.
Main Results:
- A design procedure is established to manage competing C/I and insertion loss requirements.
- Suppressing intermodulation distortion to enhance C/I often increases insertion loss, necessitating a balanced design approach.
- Integrated receiver architectures allowing flexible impedance matching are more effective than fixed 50-ohm terminations for handheld applications.
Conclusions:
- Achieving optimal MEMS band-pass filter performance requires a design strategy that balances C/I and insertion loss.
- Integrated receiver architectures are superior for meeting the demanding specifications of handheld communication terminals.
- The proposed design procedure facilitates the creation of high-performance MEMS filters for mobile devices.
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