Microelectromechanical liquid metal current carrying system, apparatus and method

A method for carrying current using a microelectromechanical system, using at least one microelectromechanical current carrying apparatus of said system, comprising causing a current to be carried by a liquid metal, comprising the steps of:

• filling a microcavity chamber of said at least one microelectromechanical current carrying apparatus with said liquid metal;
• and
• applying a voltage differential between said liquid metal at a lower end of said microcavity chamber and said liquid metal at an upper end of said microcavity chamber;
• and
• omitting a step of moving said liquid metal or moving a magnetically-coupled solid metal within said microcavity chamber, from one position to another position within said microcavity chamber, using a magnetic field source.

A method for carrying current using a microelectromechanical system, using at least one microelectromechanical current carrying apparatus of said system, comprising causing a current to be carried by a liquid metal, comprising the steps of:

• filling a microcavity chamber of said at least one microelectromechanical current carrying apparatus with said liquid metal;
• substantially immobilizing said liquid metal from moving from one position to another position within said microcavity chamber by virtue of said filling said microcavity chamber with said liquid metal substantially in said microcavity chamber's entirety;
• and
• applying a voltage differential between said liquid metal at a lower end of said microcavity chamber and said liquid metal at an upper end of said microcavity chamber.

A method for carrying current using a microelectromechanical system, using at least one microelectromechanical current carrying apparatus of said system as a relay, comprising causing a current to be carried by a liquid metal, between a lower contact and an upper contact of said at least one microelectromechanical current carrying apparatus, comprising the steps of:

• filling a microcavity chamber of said at least one microelectromechanical current carrying apparatus with said liquid metal;
• exposing said liquid metal to direct contact by said upper contact by providing an opening in said upper end of said microcavity chamber;
• substantially confining said liquid metal within said microcavity chamber notwithstanding said opening exposing said liquid metal, by choosing said liquid metal to have a sufficiently large surface tension, fabricating said microcavity chamber to have a suitable volume and surface area, and fabricating said opening to have a suitable surface area, to substantially so-confine said liquid metal;
• applying a voltage differential between said liquid metal at a lower end of said microcavity chamber and said liquid metal at an upper end of said microcavity chamber;
• applying said voltage differential to the lower and upper ends of said liquid metal using said lower contact contacting said liquid metal at said lower end of said microcavity chamber and said upper contact contacting said liquid metal at said upper end of said microcavity chamber;
• initiating the carriage of said current between said lower contact and said upper contact by moving said upper contact to establish said direct contact with said liquid metal, through said opening, at said upper end of said microcavity chamber;
• and
• terminating the carriage of said current between said lower contact and said upper contact by moving said upper contact to break said direct contact of said upper contact with said liquid metal, through said opening, at said upper end of said microcavity chamber.