High Linearity 3-Bit Frequency Tunable Planar Inverted F-Antenna for RF Applications

International audienceA compact Planar Inverted F-Antenna (PIFA) has been designed, fabricated and characterized to work either for receive or transmit applications. The antenna center frequency can be tuned from 1.52 GHz up to 2.25 GHz, using switched auxiliary strips. Ohmic contact RF-MEMS switches are used to connect and disconnect the auxiliary strips, maintaining both efficiency and antenna linearity (power handling capability). The measured PIFA efficiency for all states in an anechoic chamber is between 52% up to 95%. The antenna linearity has also been measured using an Adjacent Channel Power Ratio (ACPR) test bench, showing 42 dB dynamic range up to 28 dBm input power