MEMS switch technology represents a key enabling element for advanced RF systems. These devices provide extremely low loss, high linearity, and broad bandwidth relative to traditional semiconductor switches. A significant impediment to fully realizing these benefits in deployed systems is their reliability under high cycle numbers. Due to their low force actuation and multi-physics operation, the reliability of MEMS contact switches may be impacted by a broad range of different mechanisms. Thus, a key component of the reliability improvement process is the separation and identification of reliability-limiting processes. A number of experimental methods have been developed to support these determinations, and the application of one permitting contact response measurement is presented.
