A New Concept of Reconfigurable Antenna Structure Based on an Array of RF-MEMS Switches

A geometrical reconfigurable structure based on RF Micro-electro-mechanical switches (RF-MEMS) is proposed in this work. The structure is composed of an array of gold metallic patches interconnected together utilizing RF-MEMS switches in order to change its geometry and, consequently, the scattering parameters. In particular, the reconfigurability is achieved by activating multiple RF-MEMS switches, which enables the change in electrical length and, consequently, the resonance frequency of the structure. As a proof of concept, an experimental antenna prototype composed of an array of 7×7 elements interconnected by a set of RF-MEMS switches has been designed, fabricated numerically, and experimentally assessed. The structure can be set as an antenna or as other basic radio frequency components. The obtained experimental results are in good agreement with the simulations, with an error of less than 5% for the considered radiating structures. The quite promising results demonstrate the potential and flexibility of the proposed structure.