Electromechanical switch
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsAdam Fruehling, Scott Summerfelt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus includes a semiconductor structure having a cavity. The apparatus also includes a first electrical terminal on a first cavity side, a second electrical terminal on a second cavity side, and the second electrical terminal including an extension that overlaps part of the cavity. The apparatus also includes a bendable beam extending from the first cavity side and overlapping at least part of the extension. The apparatus also includes an actuator in a periphery of the beam, the actuator configured to generate a fringing electric field that causes the second beam side to move towards the extension in a direction different from the fringing electric field and bend the beam.
Claims22
An apparatus, comprising:
- a substrate having a cavity;
- a first electrical terminal on a first side of the cavity;
- a second electrical terminal on a second side of the cavity opposing the first side;
- a beam extending from the first side of the cavity and over the cavity;
- and
- first and second actuators configurable to move the beam in response to a signal, the first actuator being on a periphery of the beam, and the second actuator overlapping with the beam.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a first electrical terminal;
- a second electrical terminal including a first electrical contact;
- a beam including a second electrical contact;
- and
- first and second actuators configurable to move the beam in response to a signal, the first actuator being on a periphery of the beam, and the second actuator overlapping with the beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.