Our invention provides a distributed tunable inductor using DC contact MEMS switches. A high inductance value is realized using a small length of high impedance line, while low inductance is realized by reconfiguring the same circuit to yield a low impedance line using DC-contact switches. The resulting inductor is compact in size and provides very fine resolution in its tuning states.
This novel inductor can be applied in a variety of different circuit applications like true-time-delay phase shifters, impedance matching networks for amplifiers, and tuning networks for couplers and filters.
- Very fine resolution in tuning state
- Compact design
- Inductance ratio of ~ 1.8 at 30 GHz
Schematic of Tunable MEMS Inductor