Bending piezoelectrically actuated liquid metal switch
AssigneeAgilent Technologies, Inc.
InventorMarvin Glenn Wong
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In accordance with the invention, a piezoelectrically actuated relay that switches and latches by means of a liquid metal is disclosed. The relay operates by means of a plurality of bending mode piezoelectric elements used to cause a pressure differential in a pair of fluid chambers. The piezoelectric elements act upon a membrane which in turn acts upon a fluid which fills the chambers. The differential pressure causes the liquid metal drop to overcome the surface tension forces that would hold the bulk of the liquid metal drop in contact with the contact pad or pads near the actuating piezoelectric element. The switch latches by means of surface tension and the liquid metal wetting to the contact pads.
Claims28
A piezoelectric activated relay comprising:
- a liquid metal channel;
- a first and second fluid chamber, each of said fluid chambers being connected to said channel via a first and second conduit respectively;
- a first and second membrane forming a top to said first and second fluid chambers;
- a first, second and third contact pad equally separated from each other, each of said contact pads having at least a portion within the chamber;
- a plurality of piezoelectric elements forming a first and a second set of elements with said first set being affixed to said first membrane and said second set being affixed to said second membrane;
- and
- a moveable conductive liquid within the channel, a first portion of the liquid being wetted to the first of said contact pads and a portion of the liquid wetted to both the second and third of said contact pads;
- wherein said chambers and said channel are filled with a fluid and wherein said portion of the liquid wetted to said second and third of said contact pads is moveable toward said portion wetted to the first of said contact pads.
A piezoelectric activated relay comprising:
- a fluid reservoir layer comprising a fluid reservoir;
- piezoelectric layer laminated to said fluid reservoir layer, said piezoelectric layer comprising a first and second fluid chamber, a first and a second through-hole connecting said first and second chambers to said reservoir, a first and second membrane forming a top to said first and second fluid chambers, and a plurality of piezoelectric elements forming a first and a second set of elements with said first set being affixed to said first membrane and said second set being affixed to said second membrane;
- a liquid metal channel layer laminated to said piezoelectric layer, said channel layer comprising a liquid metal channel, a first via connecting said channel to the first of said chambers, a second via connecting said channel to the second of said chambers, a first, second and third contact pad equally separated from each other, each of said contact pads having at least a portion within the chamber and a moveable conductive liquid within the channel, a first portion of the liquid being wetted to the first of said of contact pads and a portion of the liquid wetted to both the second and third of said contact pads;
- wherein said chambers and said channel are filled with a fluid and wherein said portion of the liquid wetted to said second and third of said contact pads is moveable toward said portion wetted to the first of said contact pads.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.