Mechanically assisted restoring force support for micromachined membranes
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsBryon L. Williams, Laurinda W. Ng, Darius L. Crenshaw, Jose L. Melendez
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Abstract
The present invention includes an integrated circuit switch including a membrane supported over a first conductor on a substrate, a conductive region on the membrane and connecting to the first conductor on the substrate, a pulldown electrode on the substrate and under the membrane and a pillar to support the membrane after the pulldown threshold has been reached. A voltage greater than a pulldown threshold is applied between the membrane and the pulldown electrode will pull the membrane down to make a capacitive coupling to the first conductor. The addition of the pillars increases the upward restoring force when the activation voltage is removed.
Claims4
An integrated circuit switch, comprising:
- a membrane supported over a first conductor on a substrate;
- a conductive region on said membrane and connecting to said first conductor on said substrate;
- a pulldown electrode on said substrate and under said membrane;
- and
- a pillar to support said membrane only after a pulldown threshold has been reached,
- wherein a voltage greater than said pulldown threshold and applied between said membrane and said pulldown electrode will pull said membrane down to make a capacitive coupling to said first conductor,
- wherein said integrated circuit switch included a dielectric and, said pillar has a height less than ⅔ the distance between the said membrane and said dielectric.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.