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.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- a semiconductor structure having a cavity, the cavity having opposite first and second cavity sides;
- a first electrical terminal on the first cavity side;
- a second electrical terminal on the second cavity side, and the second electrical terminal including an extension that overlaps part of the cavity, the extension including a first electrical contact;
- a bendable beam extending from the first cavity side and including:
- a metal layer electrically coupled to the first electrical terminal;
- opposing first and second beam sides, in which the first beam side is coupled to the first electrical terminal, and the second beam side faces the second cavity side;
- and
- a second electrical contact on the second beam side and electrically coupled to the metal layer, in which the second electrical contact overlaps at least a portion of the extension and faces the first electrical contact;
- and
- 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.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a first electrical terminal;
- a second electrical terminal including an extension, the extension including a first electrical contact;
- a bendable beam including:
- a metal layer electrically coupled to the first electrical terminal;
- opposing first and second beam sides, in which the first beam side is coupled to the first electrical terminal;
- and
- a second electrical contact on the second beam side and electrically coupled to the metal layer, in which the second electrical contact overlaps at least a portion of the extension and faces the first electrical contact;
- and
- an actuator on a periphery of the beam and 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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.