Liquid metal MEMS switch
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsAdam Joseph Fruehling, Dishit Paresh Parekh, Daniel Lee Revier, Benjamin Stassen Cook
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A switch that includes a droplet capable of spreading between two conductors to allow them to be coupled when a voltage is applied. The droplet can be enclosed by a cap that is bonded to a wafer that the droplet is placed upon, and include metallic properties. The cap can create a cavity that may be filled by a fluid, gas, or vapor. The cavity can have multiple conductors that extend partially or fully through it. The droplet can couple the conductors when specific voltages, or frequencies are applied to them. At the specific voltage and frequency, the droplet can spread, allowing at least two conductors to be coupled.
Claims15
A method of fabricating a switch, comprising:
- depositing an oxide layer on a substrate;
- patterning a biasing structure on the oxide layer;
- growing the oxide layer through the biasing structure;
- planarizing the oxide layer to form a planarized surface;
- depositing a metal layer on the planarized surface;
- selectively depositing a dielectric layer on the metal layer to form a wafer;
- dispensing a droplet on the wafer;
- providing a dielectric cap;
- and
- bonding the dielectric cap to the wafer to enclose the droplet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.