MEMS switches and fabrication methods
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsJeffrey P. Gambino, Stephen A. Mongeon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
MEMS switches and methods of fabricating MEMS switches. The switch has a vertically oriented deflection electrode having a conductive layer supported by a supporting layer, at least one drive electrode, and a stationary electrode. An actuation voltage applied to the drive electrode causes the deflection electrode to be deflect laterally and contact the stationary electrode, which closes the switch. The deflection electrode is restored to a vertical position when the actuation voltage is removed, thereby opening the switch. The method of fabricating the MEMS switch includes depositing a conductive layer on mandrels to define vertical electrodes and then releasing the deflection electrode by removing the mandrel and layer end sections.
Claims16
A method of fabricating a microelectromechanical (MEMS) device, the method comprising:
- forming a conductive layer of a stationary electrode and a conductive layer of a deflection electrode each having a vertical orientation relative to a top surface of a supporting layer and laterally separated from each other by a contact gap;
- and
- forming at least one drive electrode,
- wherein the deflection electrode is configured to be electrostatically attracted with a cantilevered motion toward the at least one drive electrode, when the at least one drive electrode is electrically biased, so that the conductive layer of the deflection electrode bridges the contact gap to contact the conductive layer of the stationary electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.