RF MEMS and GaAs Based Reconfigurable RF Front-End Components for Wide-Band Multi-Functional Phased Arrays

The authors study possibilities of implementing flexible and programmable components for the RF front-ends of wideband multi-functional phased arrays using GaAs MMIC and RF MEMS technologies. The use of MEMS reconfigurable matching networks in tunable bandpass LNAs is proposed to achieve wider tuning ranges (e.g. 6.5-9.9GHz is obtained according to simulations) and adequate performance of such LNAs. The potential for monolithic integration with active devices was further demonstrated by showing how variable MEMS capacitors may be realized in a GaAs foundry process