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US 6,407,478 B1Granted
Switches and switching arrays that use microelectromechanical devices having one or more beam members that are responsive to temperature
AssigneeJDS Uniphase Corporation
InventorsRobert L. Wood, Vivek Agrawal
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A microelectromechanical device comprises first and second beam members that have respective first ends connected to anchors, and that are also connected together. The first and second beam members are connected to a dielectric tether by a first tether anchor. The microelectromechanical device further comprises a third beam member that has a first end that is connected to an anchor and that is connected to the dielectric tether by a second tether anchor. At least one of the first and the second beam members are configured to elongate when the first and/or the second beam member is heated to a temperature that is greater than a temperature of the third beam member.
Claims38
A microelectromechanical device, comprising:
- a first beam member that has an end that is connected to a first anchor;
- a second beam member that has an end that is connected to a second anchor, the second beam member being configured to elongate when the second beam member is heated to a temperature that is greater than a temperature of the first beam member;
- and
- a contact that comprises a first conductive region that connects the first and the second beam members, a second conductive region, and an isolation region that electrically isolates the first conductive region from the second conductive region.
1 more element
A microelectromechanical device, comprising:
- a first beam member that has an end that is connected to a first anchor;
- a second beam member that has an end that is connected to a second anchor;
- a third beam member that is connected to the second beam member and has an end that is connected to a third anchor, a respective one of the second and third beam members being configured to elongate when the respective one of the second and third beam members is heated to a temperature that is greater than a temperature of the first beam member;
- and
- a dielectric tether that has a first tether anchor attached thereto that connects the second and the third beam members to the dielectric tether, and a second tether anchor attached thereto that is connected to the first beam member.
2 more elements
A method of operating a microelectromechanical device, comprising:
- providing first and second beam members that are connected to each other and have respective ends that are connected to first and second anchors;
- providing a third beam member that has an end that is connected to a third anchor, the third beam member being connected to a second tether anchor;
- providing a dielectric tether having a first tether anchor attached thereto that connects the first and the second beam members to the dielectric tether and a second tether anchor attached thereto that connects the third beam member to the dielectric tether;
- and
- generating a current through the first and the second beam members to deflect the dielectric tether from an initial position towards the third beam member.
2 more elements
A microelectromechanical switch, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a pair of switch contacts attached to the substrate;
- a first actuator that has a first end that is connected to the substrate and that has a contact connected thereto, the first actuator further comprising a first tab attached to the contact, the first actuator being operable to deflect in response to an electrical current;
- and
- a second actuator that has a first end that is connected to the substrate and that has a second tab connected thereto, the second actuator being operable to deflect in response to an electrical current;
- wherein the first and the second actuators are positioned such that the contact electrically connects the pair of switch contacts when the first tab engages the second tab between the pair of switch contacts and the second tab, and the contact does not electrically connect the pair of switch contacts when the second tab engages the first tab between the pair of switch contacts and the first tab.
3 more elements
A microelectromechanical switch, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a first actuator that has an end that is connected to the substrate and that has a first tab connected thereto;
- and
- a second actuator that has an end that is connected to the substrate and that has a second tab connected thereto, the first and second actuators being operable such that the first tab engages the second tab when the first and the second actuators are in a first position, and the first tab is disengaged from the second tab when the first and the second actuators are in a second position;
- wherein the first and the second actuators each comprise:
- a first beam member that has an end that is connected to a first anchor on the substrate;
- a second beam member that has an end that is connected to a second anchor on the substrate;
- a third beam member that is connected to the second beam member and that has an end that is connected to a third anchor on the substrate, a respective one of the second and the third beam members being configured to elongate when the respective one of the second and the third beam members is heated to a temperature that is greater than a temperature of the first beam member;
- and
- a dielectric tether that has a first tether anchor attached thereto that connects the second and the third beam members to the dielectric tether, and a second tether anchor attached thereto that connects the first beam member to the dielectric tether.
7 more elements
A method of operating a microelectromechanical switch, comprising:
- providing a substrate;
- providing a pair of switch contacts that are attached to the substrate;
- providing a first actuator that has an end that is connected to the substrate and that has a contact connected thereto, the first actuator further comprising a first tab attached to the contact, the first actuator being operable to deflect in response to an electrical current;
- providing a second actuator that has an end that is connected to the substrate and that has a second tab connected thereto, the second actuator being operable to deflect in response to an electrical current;
- generating a current through the second actuator to deflect the second actuator away from the pair of switch contacts;
- and
- generating a current through the first actuator to deflect the first actuator away from the pair of switch contacts.
4 more elements
A method of operating a microelectromechanical switch, comprising:
- providing a substrate;
- providing a first actuator that has an end that is connected to the substrate and that has a first tab connected thereto, the first actuator being operable to deflect in response to an electrical current;
- providing a second actuator that has an end that is connected to the substrate and that has a second tab connected thereto, the second actuator being operable to deflect in response to an electrical current;
- wherein the first and the second actuators each comprise:
- first and second beam members that are connected to each other and that have respective ends that are connected to first and second anchors on the substrate;
- a third beam member that has an end that is connected to a third anchor on the substrate;
- and
- a dielectric tether having a first tether anchor attached thereto that connects the first and the second beam members to the dielectric tether and a second tether anchor attached thereto that connects the third beam member to the dielectric tether;
- generating a current through the first and the second beam members of the first actuator to deflect the dielectric tether of the first actuator from an initial position towards the third beam member of the first actuator;
- and
- generating a current through the first and the second beam members of the second actuator to deflect the dielectric tether of the second actuator from an initial position towards the third beam member of the second actuator.
8 more elements
A switching array, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a row signal path on the substrate that comprises a plurality of first switch contacts;
- a column signal path on the substrate that comprises a plurality of second switch contacts;
- a plurality of first actuators, a respective one of the plurality of first actuators having an end that is connected to the substrate and having a contact connected thereto, the respective one of the plurality of first actuators further comprising a first tab attached to the contact, the respective one of the plurality of first actuators being operable to deflect in response to an electrical current;
- and
- a plurality of second actuators, a respective one of the plurality of second actuators having an end that is connected to the substrate and having a second tab connected thereto, the respective one of the plurality of second actuators being operable to deflect in response to an electrical current;
- wherein the respective one of the plurality of first actuators and the respective one of the plurality of second actuators are positioned such that the contact electrically connects a respective one of the first plurality of switch contacts to a respective one of the second plurality of switch contacts when the first tab engages the second tab between the respective one of the first plurality of switch contacts and the respective one of the second plurality of switch contacts and the second tab, and the contact does not electrically connect the respective one of the first plurality of switch contacts to the respective one of the second plurality of switch contacts when the second tab engages the first tab between the respective one of the first plurality of switch contacts and the respective one of the second plurality of switch contacts and the first tab.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.