Reconfigurable mm-wave phase shifter based on high impedance surface with carbon nanotube membrane MEMS

A novel phase shifter based on high impedance surface (HIS) with carbon nanotube (CNT) membrane MEMS is proposed. The CNT MEMS HIS is integrated into a dielectric rod waveguide (DRW) so that the CNT membrane acts as a movable ground plane. We present a novel fabrication method of the phase shifter being significantly simpler than those previously used. The device performance is verified through numerical simulations that show a theoretical phase shift of 260° with a 7 volt bias applied. So far we have experimentally demonstrated a CNT membrane varactor, where the distance of the CNT membrane and metal patches changed from 2 μm to 0.4 μm with a 10 volt bias.