Fa. Miranda et al., Life cycle testing of BaxSr1-xTiO3 ferroelectric thin films in a tunable microwave device, INTEGR FERR, 34(1-4), 2001, pp. 1687-1694
Thin film ferroelectrics are being studied as candidates for novel tunable
microwave components such as tunable filters, tunable oscillators, and phas
e shifters for applications in phased array antennas. Much work has been do
ne optimizing the ferroelectric material and in producing proof-of-concepts
of these components. However, little attention has been given to their rel
iability. In this study we present our results on the reliability of high q
uality K-band phase shifters made of BaxSr1-xTiO3 (BSTO) ferroelectric thin
films (0.5-0.75 mum thick) on MgO and LAG. The phase shift and insertion l
oss were measured at 300 K over 10(4) operation cycles within a 0-400 V de
bias range (0-40 V/mum) at 15, 18, and 22 GHz. Results for these phase shif
ters indicate that in general there were no appreciable changes in phase sh
ift after 4x10(4) cycles, suggesting that these phase shifters are robust e
nough to sustain optimal performance under the operating mode typical of fa
st tracking phased arrays.