Metamaterial Filters on LCP Substrate Using MEMS Technology

Abstract

Metamaterials have a wide range of potential uses in areas such as optics, transmission lines, and RF design. The simplest metamaterial structures are Split-Ring Resonators (SRR) and Complementary Split-Ring Resonators (CSRR). Through the combination of various forms of these structures, different applications can be achieved. An in depth investigation was performed on a metamaterials transmission line that was realized through micromachining a Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) substrate. LCP was chosen because it possesses useful RF properties and can be easily micromachined. This transmission line consisted of several CSRRs in series, which performed as a high-order, high-frequency, band-pass filter. This structure is unique to most metamaterial structures because LCP is a flexible substrate. It was observed that the resonant frequency of the filter did not change when the LCP transmission line was flexed over various radii of curvature. Extrapolating these methods to the development of metamaterial 3D RF invisibility cloaks that are easily manufactured and mountable onto an object could prove useful.