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In comparison to conventional microwave devices, Radio Frequency Microelectromechanical Systems (RF MEMS) have improved isolation, lower power dissipation, and are smaller, lighter, and more affordable.
Over the years, numerous businesses have made unsuccessful attempts to market RF MEMS products. Switches are the RF MEMS product that has experienced some commercial success, though. RF MEMS-based switches are now being used successfully in a few different applications.
The Global RF MEMS market accounted for $XX Billion in 2023 and is anticipated to reach $XX Billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of XX% from 2024 to 2030.
Semefab was visited by Taicaan Research (Microfabrication Testing Services), based in Southampton Science Park, to discuss a partnership programme to advance RF MEMS switching technology.
The Radio Frequency Microelectromechanical Systems (RF MEMS) market segment is by far the largest in terms of sales volume, but there is still a fundamental issue that needs to be resolved. The parties hope that their application for SMART feasibility funding will enable them to start working on further development and commercialization.
Numerous sensors based on MEMS technology have been developed, including accelerometers, gyroscopes, radiation and temperature sensors, pressure and vibration sensors, and so on, due to the cost-effective miniaturization feature of MEMS sensors.
The automotive industry is expected to have one of the highest adoption rates for these sensors, which are being incorporated into a variety of applications. Vehicle stability enhancement systems, navigation systems, and airbag deployments are some of the major automotive applications.
One of the main drivers of the market’s expansion is the growing demand for automobiles with driver and passenger safety and security features.MEMS sensors are an essential component in enhancing automobile safety features. In addition, they play a significant role in driving the expansion of the studied market.
Electronic control systems for automobiles contain a number of essential components, including sensors and actuators. As a result, these sensors and actuators are influenced by the requirement for control system function. Sensors on the engine’s input and exhaust sides are becoming increasingly necessary as engine control systems become more widely used.
The manifold air temperature (MAT) and absolute pressure (MAP) sensors are used to calculate the engine’s intake air density. The demand for interface specifications is evident and is anticipated to be important for future demand as the use cases of sensors in automobile applications to support ADAS, infotainment, and autonomous driving systems continue to rise.
There has been an increased demand for efficient means to provide the driver with safety alerts and other relevant information as ADAS applications continue to evolve and become more complex.
Higher antenna efficiency offered by RF MEMS, also known as Radio Frequency Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems, a technology frequently utilised in satellite and defence applications, is now set to enhance smartphone performance in the near future.
It essentially cut the download times in half by being able to make smartphone antennas 2 or 3 dB more efficient. This would be a major accomplishment if it were able to use RF MEMS technologies.
For innovative work that made it possible for RF MEMS technology and tunable millimetre- and microwave devices to be commercialised. In addition to antennas, RF MEMS technology may one day be used to develop tunable filters for smartphone radios that would eventually take the place of the dozens of separate filters present in smartphones.
The use of many frequency channels to divide data, such as a video, that is being received or downloaded in advanced wireless networks, known as carrier aggregation, has increased the need of filters. For the tunable RF front ends of next-generation communication systems, metal-contact and capacitive switches may prove to be crucial components.
RF MEMS implementations may also be seen in cell phone base stations. However, it might take longer for commercial smartphones and tablets to support uses other than tunable antennas. When RF MEMS are incorporated into smartphone antennas, “tunable” antennas that are effective across one or two frequency bands at once are produced.
RF MEMS metal-contact switches and variable capacitors are utilised to make the antennas adjustable so that the frequency at which they perform most effectively can be altered.
Menlo Micro has announced that RF MEMS-based ideal switches operating at up to 18 GHz are now available. The performance, integration, and reliability of these two new switches are at the highest level for RF switching applications, 5G network infrastructure, and test and measurement gear.
Built on the market-proven Ideal Switch technology of Menlo Micro, the MM5120 and MM5140 SP4T switch outperform electromechanical relays (EMRs) and traditional solid-state switches by a significant margin with 25W power handling, ultra-low insertion loss, and highest linearity.
Both switches have built-in charge pumps and drivers with options for SPI and GPIO interface control.
