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US 5,619,061 AGranted
Micromechanical microwave switching
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsCharles Goldsmith, Bradley M. Kanack, Tsen-Hwang Lin, Bill R. Norvell, Lily Y. Pang, Billy Powers, Jr., Charles Rhoads, David Seymour
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Micromechanical microwave switches with both ohmic and capacitive coupling of rf lines and integration in multiple throw switches useful in microwave arrays.
Claims19
An integrated circuit switch, comprising:
- (a) a membrane supported over a first conductor on a substrate;
- (b) a conductive region on said membrane and connecting to a second conductor on said substrate;
- and
- (c) a pulldown electrode on said substrate and under said membrane,
- (d) wherein a voltage greater than a pulldown threshold and applied between said conductive region and said pulldown electrode will pull said membrane down to make a capacitive coupling to said first conductor.
2 more elements
An integrated circuit switch, comprising:
- (a) a membrane supported over first and second conductors on a substrate;
- (b) a conductive region on said membrane;
- and
- (c) a pulldown electrode on said substrate and under said membrane;
- (d) wherein a voltage greater than a threshold and applied between said conductive region and said pulldown electrode will pull said membrane down to electrically couple said first and second conductors.
2 more elements
An integrated circuit multiple-throw switch, comprising:
- (a) a membrane supported over a plurality of output conductors on a substrate;
- (b) a conductive region on said membrane and connecting to an input conductor on said substrate;
- and
- (c) a plurality of pulldown electrodes on said substrate and under said membrane;
- (d) wherein a voltage greater than a pulldown threshold and applied between said conductive region and one of said plurality of pulldown electrodes will pull said membrane down to make a capacitive coupling to a corresponding one of said plurality of output conductors.
2 more elements
An integrated circuit switch comprising:
- a dielectric membrane supported over a first conductor on a substrate;
- a conductive region on said membrane and connecting to a second conductor on said substrate;
- and
- a pulldown electrode on said substrate and under said membrane,
- wherein a voltage greater than a pulldown threshold and applied between said conductive region and said pulldown electrode will pull said membrane down to make an electrical coupling to said first conductor.
2 more elements
An integrated circuit switch comprising:
- a membrane supported over a first conductor on a substrate;
- a conductive region on said membrane and connecting to a second conductor on said substrate;
- a pulldown electrode on said substrate and under said membrane;
- and
- a pullup electrode supported over said membrane,
- wherein a voltage greater than a pulldown threshold and applied between said conductive region and said pulldown electrode will pull said membrane down to make an electrical coupling to said first conductor, and wherein a voltage greater than a pullup threshold and applied between said conductive region and said pullup electrode will pull said membrane up to disrupt any electrical coupling of said membrane to said first conductor when no voltage is applied between said membrane and said pulldown electrode.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.