iPhone4: RF MEMS to the rescue

Long plagued by technological hurdles and other disappointing setbacks, RF MEMS are finally ready for the big time, with revenue projected to double in 2010 and more than triple in 2011. “More than 50% of cell phones shipped in 2014 will feature some form of front-end-module tuning using RF MEMS technology,” said Jérémie Bouchaud, principal analyst for MEMS and sensors at iSuppli. “The implementation of RF MEMS switches and varactors in mobile phones could help boost the performance of smart phones like the iPhone 4, which made news headlines recently because of a problematic antenna that resulted in dropped signal strength”, he continued. Although other technologies will address antenna issues, including SoS FETs and BST varactors, MEMS deliver the best performance in terms of insertion loss.