Microelectromechanical micro-relay with liquid metal contacts

A MEM relay comprising:

• an actuator;
• a shorting bar disposed on said actuator;
• a contact substrate;
• a plurality of liquid metal contacts disposed on said contact substrate such that said plurality of liquid metal contacts are placed in electrical communication when the MEM relay is in a closed state;
• and
• at least one heater disposed on said contact substrate wherein said heater is in thermal communication with said plurality of liquid metal contacts.

A MEM relay comprising:

• an actuator;
• an actuator spacer movably disposed on said actuator;
• a shorting bar disposed on said actuator spacer;
• a contact substrate, having an upper surface and a lower surface, spaced apart from said shorting bar;
• a plurality of wettable metal contacts disposed on said upper surface of said contact substrate;
• a plurality of liquid metal contacts disposed on said plurality of wettable metal contacts such that said plurality of wettable metal contacts are placed in electrical communication when the MEM relay is in a closed state;
• a plurality of external contacts disposed on said lower surface of said contact substrate;
• and
• a plurality of conducting vias placing each of said plurality of wettable metal contacts in electrical communication with a respective one of said plurality of external contacts.

A MEM relay comprising:

• an actuator;
• a non-wetting metal shorting membrane, having an outer surface and an inner surface;
• disposed on said actuator;
• a plurality of upper external contacts disposed on said outer surface of said non-wetting metal shorting membrane;
• a contact substrate, having an upper surface and a lower surface, spaced apart from and insulated from said non-wetting metal shorting membrane;
• a liquid metal contact disposed on said upper surface of said contact;
• a plurality of lower external contacts disposed on said lower surface of said contact substrate such that at least one of said plurality of lower external contacts is placed in electrical communication with at least one of said plurality of upper external contacts when the MEM relay is in a closed state;
• and
• a plurality of conducting vias placing each of said plurality wettable metal contacts in electrical communication with a respective one of said plurality of lower external contacts.