Overview

"The discovery of electrical waves has not merely scientific interest though that alone inspired it... it has had a profound influence on civilization; it has been instrumental in providing the methods which may bring all inhabitants of the world within hearing distance of each other and has potentialities social, educational and political which we are only beginning to realize."

Sir Joseph. J. Thomson, on James Maxwell's discovery of electromagnetic waves in James Clerk Maxwell: A Commemorative Volume 1831 1931, The University Press: Cambridge, UK, 1931.

Radio-frequency (RF) MEM devices have been in research and development for years, with scores of papers published annually. There are unpublicized devices in use in small volume in commercial and military applications, but only recently have such devices gone into high-volume production. Current and future RF MEMS devices will be competitive with more conventional components on the basis of volume, mass, cost, and performance. The largest potential market is in cellular telephone handsets, with hundreds of millions of units sold each year. Other portable electronics markets, where the aforementioned qualities are major considerations, include cordless phones for home use, wireless computer networking, radios, and global positioning system (GPS) receivers. Satellites, missile guidance, military radar, and test equipment are separate markets of importance, with lower potential sales volumes but higher unit prices.

Opening the cover of a modern cellular telephone reveals a myriad of discrete passive and active components occupying substantial volume and weight. The market's continued push for small portable telephones argues a...