DelfMEMS and KFM TEchnology are merging their talents to enable DelfMEMS to provide a low-cost, RF microelectromechanical-systems (MEMS) technology platform and related products for mobile applications. Mobile products have rigorous packaging requirements regarding size, thickness, cost, integration, overmolding protection, and performance. By combining the technology from both companies, R&D teams will be able to adapt the packaging to the switch configuration. In addition, they will be able to optimize through-packaging vias for RF performance.
The micromechanical building block from DelfMEMS is based on a new intellectual- property (IP) device portfolio. It promises to improve hot switching behavior and bring switching time below 1 s while consuming 12 V actuation voltage (electrostatic). The firm's MEMS technology promises increased bandwidth while minimizing cost, size, and power consumption.
For its part, KFM Technology is lending its wafer-level-packaging (WLP) expertise. The company's R&D team is focused on single-wafer packaging in which a polymer or metallic thin-film microcap is used to form a seal around a device. This flexible packaging approach adapts to most constraints imposed by users. Thanks to its collective and eventually reusable approach, it offers the potential for reduced fabrication costs as well.
By combining their technologies, the firms' R&D teams will adapt the packaging to the switch configuration (see figure). They also will optimize the through-packaging vias for RF performance. This packaging approach combines WLP advantages, such as low cost, with thin-film-packaging (TFP) benefits like small size, higher frequency range, lower parasitic capacitance, high integration, and overmolding capability. Delf- MEMS also will be able to provide MEMS switches, fixed capacitors, and high-Q inductors on the same chip without modifying the fabrication process.