Micro-electromechanical (MEM) power relay
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsPrashant Patil, Neil Gershenfeld
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Abstract
A micro-electromechanical (MEM) relay and its fabrication process. The MEM relay includes a movable actuator electrode anchored to a substrate with two cantilever beams. Below the actuator electrode, there are three fixed electrodes. These three electrodes are the gate, the input, and the output contacts. The square base of the actuator electrode, and the square gate electrode below it, form an electrostatic parallel-plate actuator. When a voltage is applied between the actuator electrode and the gate electrode, the actuator electrode is pulled-down due to electrostatic attraction closing the relay. When the voltage is removed, the cantilever beams act as springs opening the relay.
Claims10
A micro-electromechanical (MEM) relay comprising:
- a movable actuator electrode in the shape of a square attached to a substrate by two straight cantilever beams each extending between the substrate and the movable actuator electrode parallel to opposing sides of the square;
- three separated fixed electrodes also attached to the substrate located below the actuator electrode, the three separated fixed electrodes including a gate electrode, an input electrode and an output electrode;
- a conductive contact bar attached to the actuator electrode;
- the contact bar on an opposite side of the square actuator electrode from the side which extends cantilever beams to the substrate, the contact bar electrically isolated from the actuator electrode;
- the actuator electrode and the gate electrode constructed such that application of an applied voltage greater than a particular threshold voltage applied between the actuator electrode and the gate electrode causes the actuator electrode to be pulled toward the gate electrode by electrostatic force causing the contact bar to make contact with both the input electrode and the output electrode shorting the input electrode to the output electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.