MEMS bridge devices and methods of manufacture thereof

A radio frequency (RF) microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) circuit comprising a substrate, a signal conductor supported on the substrate and ground conductors supported on the substrate, on either side of the signal conductor, and comprising a plurality of MEMS devices, wherein each of the MEMS devices comprises:

• a MEMS bridge at least one end of which is mechanically connected to the substrate by way of at least one anchor, the MEMS bridge comprising an electrically conductive switching portion formed on a resilient planar support comprising an electrically insulating material, the electrically conductive switching portion comprises a continuous conductor comprising a switching signal conductor region and a switching ground conductor region, the switching signal conductor region being provided over the signal conductor and the switching ground conductor region being provided over a said ground conductor, the electrically conductive switching region being movable, relative to the substrate and by elastic deformation of the resilient planar support, between first and second positions, to thereby change the impedances between the switching signal conductor region and the signal conductor and between the switching ground conductor region and the respective ground conductor, wherein there is no continuous electrically conductive path extending from the switching signal conductor region to the at least one anchor,
• wherein the plurality of MEMS devices are configured in a plurality of groups of one or more MEMS devices which are switchable as a group by the application of a potential difference and wherein the MEMS devices of two or more said groups of two or more MEMS devices are interspersed along the length of the signal conductor.