Stiction reduction for MEMS devices

A capacitive micro-electromechanical switch (MEMs) integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

• a plurality of capacitors, each capacitor having a voltage terminal for applying an actuation voltage to the individual capacitor, wherein each capacitor is capable of being individually cycled;
• a high voltage driver having a voltage distribution mechanism that couples to the voltage terminal of each of the plurality of capacitors to enable the high voltage driver to selectively provide a pre-determined voltage input required to actuate and charge a selected one or more of the plurality of capacitors;
• and
• control logic communicatively coupled to the high voltage driver and which deterministically applies power cycle times, less than a stiction limit, for an actuation and de-actuation of at least a first capacitor of the plurality of capacitors to substantially reduce an occurrence of stiction within at least the first capacitor during operation of the MEMs device.

A communication device comprising:

• at least one transceiver circuit for transmitting and receiving signal communication;
• at least one antenna;
• a controller that controls capacitive tuning operations for the at least one antenna;
• a capacitive micro-electromechanical switch (MEMs) integrated circuit (IC) coupled within at least one signal path of the at least one transceiver circuit and to the at least one antenna, the MEMs IC comprising:
• a plurality of capacitors, each capacitor having a voltage terminal for applying an actuation voltage to the individual capacitor, wherein each capacitor is capable of being individually cycled;
• a high voltage driver having a voltage distribution mechanism that couples to the voltage terminal of each of the plurality of capacitors to enable the high voltage driver to selectively provide a pre-determined voltage input required to actuate and charge a selected one or more of the plurality of capacitors;
• and
• control logic communicatively coupled to the controller and to the high voltage driver and which, in response to receiving at least one control signal from the controller, deterministically applies power cycle times, less than a stiction limit, for an actuation and de-actuation of at least a first capacitor of the plurality of capacitors to substantially reduce an occurrence of stiction within at least the first capacitor during operation of the MEMs device.