MICROMACHINED DEVICES FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS

An overview of recent progress in the research and development of micr omachined devices for use in wireless communication subsystems is pres ented. Among the specific devices described are tunable micromachined capacitors, integrated high-Q inductors, micromachined low-loss microw ave and millimeter-wave filters, low-loss micromechanical switches, mi croscale vibrating mechanical resonators with Q's in the tens of thous ands, and miniature antennas for millimeter-wave applications. Specifi c applications are reviewed for each of these components with emphasis on methods for miniaturization and performance enhancement of existin g and future wireless transceivers.