Magnetic relay device made using MEMS or NEMS technology
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorAlberto Pagani
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A magnetic relay device having a substrate of semiconductor material houses two through magnetic vias of electrically conductive ferromagnetic material. At least one coil is arranged underneath a first surface of the substrate in proximity of at least one between the first and second magnetic vias, and a contact structure, of ferromagnetic material, is arranged over a second surface of the substrate and is controlled by the magnetic field generated by the coil so as to switch between an open position, wherein the contact structure electrically disconnects the first and second magnetic vias, and a close position, wherein the contact structure electrically connects the first and second magnetic vias.
Claims23
A magnetic relay device comprising:
- a substrate of semiconductor material having a first surface and a second surface;
- a first magnetic via that includes ferromagnetic and electrically conductive material extending through the substrate between the first and second surfaces;
- a second magnetic via that includes ferromagnetic and electrically conductive material extending through the substrate between the first and second surfaces;
- a magnetic-field generator arranged underneath the first surface in proximity to at least one of the first and second magnetic vias;
- and
- a contact structure that includes ferromagnetic material arranged above the second surface and controlled by the magnetic-field generator so as to switch between an open position in which the contact structure electrically disconnects the first and second magnetic vias, and a closed position in which the contact structure electrically connects the first and second magnetic vias.
A method for controlling a relay device, the method comprising:
- using a first coil arranged proximate to a first magnetic via in a semiconductor substrate, generating a first magnetic field in the first magnetic via so as to magnetize in an opposite way facing portions of a contact structure and of a second magnetic via in the semiconductor substrate, and thereby causing an attraction force that places the facing portion of the contact structure in contact with the facing portion of the second magnetic via;
- using a second coil arranged proximate to the second magnetic via in the semiconductor substrate, generating a second magnetic field in the second magnetic via, the second magnetic field in the second magnetic via being oriented opposite to the first magnetic field in the first magnetic via;
- maintaining the first magnetic field generated by the first coil;
- and
- reversing, using the second coil, the second magnetic field in the second magnetic via so that the second magnetic field in the second magnetic via has a concordant direction with the first magnetic field in the first magnetic via, causing a repulsive force between the contact structure and the first magnetic via.
A magnetic relay device comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface;
- a first magnetic via extending through the substrate between the first and second surfaces;
- a second magnetic via extending through the substrate between the first and second surfaces;
- a first coil arranged proximity to the first magnetic via
- a second coil arranged proximate to the second magnetic vias;
- and
- a contact structure that includes ferromagnetic material arranged above the second surface, the contact structure having a first end that is coupled to a first surface of the first magnetic via, the contact structure having a second end suspended above a second surface of the second magnetic via, the second end being configured to move into contact with the second surface of the second magnetic via in response to magnetic fields of opposite signs being generated in the first and second magnetic vias.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.