Researchers at UMR and Motorola Inc.’s Physical Realization Center in Schaumburg, Ill., have worked together to develop three-dimensional switches to improve the reception quality for wireless communications and other wireless sensing devices.

“We are trying to make better switches, called Meso-MEMS, for wireless technology," says Dr. Matthew O’Keefe, associate professor of materials science and engineering and one of the project leaders. The use of Meso-MEMS (MEMS stands for micro-electro-mechanical systems) as switches will not only improve reception quality, but will save energy.

“The basic switch technology gives you lower electrical loss and a higher quality signal," says O’Keefe. The switch would enable a cell phone, for example, to be used in any geographic location by simply changing its frequency operation band. Recent tests have shown this approach is an improvement over current technology. “This system will actually enhance the consumer’s cell phone performance by providing a cleaner, stronger signal with less static," says O’Keefe.

The meso-MEMS switches work much like a light switch. A meso-MEMS switch is either on or off, unlike the current solid state technology, which is on at some level all the time. One significant advantage to using this switch is that, because it does turn completely off, it saves energy. Energy savings are also realized with current MEMS switches made of silicon, but silicon RF MEMS switches are relatively expensive, O’Keefe says. The Motorola/UMR team has discovered that alternative polymer and metal materials work just as well as silicon, and for a much lower price.

Other UMR researchers involved in this effort include Dr. James Drewniak, professor of electrical and computer engineering at UMR; Dr. Fatih Dogan, professor of materials science and engineering; and Dr. Brad Miller, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics.